Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman was particularly impressed by the scale of the mission. "On the International Space Station, we are at an altitude of 250 nautical miles, and that is the most beautiful view I think a person can ever experience," said Wiseman. He said his entire experience tells him that people must always move forward. "And we are dealing with numbers that amount to 250,000 miles. And every time Mission Control directs this vehicle toward the Moon or Earth, it reminds me every day that people must go. We must explore. We must go further, expand our knowledge, broaden our horizons, and every time we take another step forward, the world seems a little smaller and a little more manageable. And just putting these numbers into perspective, it is impossible as a human to look at these displays and understand them. And here we are, and NASA is doing this, and the international team is doing this and doing it very well." NASA chief Jared Isaacman asked the crew to briefly describe their journey, and Christina Koch responded with "humility." "We would never be here if it weren't for so many people who came before us. Starting from Neil Armstrong, Katherine Johnson, civil rights movement leaders—all who worked on this spacecraft before we arrived here," said Koch. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen took a moment to share a message on behalf of Canada with U.S. President Donald Trump. "On behalf of Canada, the space leadership you have spoken about from America is truly extraordinary. I have said this many times before. A nation that leads and creates and sets big goals for humanity, which brings other countries along, is truly incredible, and I know it is a very intentional, not a necessary decision, an intentional decision to lead by example and allow other countries like Canada to share our gifts and help you achieve these mutually beneficial goals, such as establishing a presence on the Moon and eventually going to Mars. Canadians are very proud to be part of this program," said Hansen. NASA astronaut Victor Glover also noted how special a day it was for many, not just the crew. "It is truly special for us, but it is also truly special for the team on the ground. The entire team of people around the world made this happen, and we just want to thank you all for this. The excitement and honor of a lifetime is to be on this journey. Today was incredible, but this three-year journey has been incredible, and it was made possible by people, made possible by the American people and the Canadian people. And we are very grateful to all of you," said Glover. The Orion spacecraft will also leave the Moon's sphere of influence, the area where the Moon's gravity is stronger than Earth's, as it continues its return. Orion is expected to experience its first re-entry burn.