• Artemis II astronauts share their experiences and observations from space
• The crew explored the far side of the Moon for the first time with a direct view.

The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission announced that they are bringing "more pictures" and "more stories" to share with the world after completing their journey around the Moon, as they prepare to return to Earth.

The Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego on Friday at around 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Speaking to the media from space, mission pilot Victor Glover said the crew was excited to share what they had witnessed, marking their first comments since the historic flight that took them farther from Earth than any humans before.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Glover noted that they would return with all the valuable data, saying, "There are so many pictures and stories we will bring back," and that the crew needed "two more days" to fully process everything they had experienced.

He added: "I will continue to think and talk about all these experiences for the rest of my life."

Orion set a new record for human distance from Earth on Monday at 1:56 PM Eastern Time, surpassing a record set in 1970 by the Apollo 13 mission. The spacecraft flew around the Moon’s far side, the side not visible from Earth, and the astronauts were the first humans to see parts of its surface, including vast craters and lava plains.

During the virtual press conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, each astronaut answered reporters’ questions with some delays and shared personal moments, such as watching a lunar eclipse from the far side (for Glover) and naming a lunar crater after mission commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.

The crew confirmed that they had followed Earth news through their families, who provided insight into public reactions to the mission.

Astronaut Christina Koch said she would miss the camaraderie and teamwork among the crew in space, adding: "There is nothing I will miss, as every adventure requires some risks and sacrifices, and it’s worth it."

The crew now prepares for several days of checks and experiments before the final phase: a fiery descent through the atmosphere at nearly 40,000 kilometers per hour and a parachute splashdown into the Pacific to test the spacecraft’s heat shield and recovery systems.