Artemis II crew hears from NASA Apollo astronaut on Easter – Florida Today

As people around the world paused to observe Easter Sunday, the Artemis II astronauts offered a message of love to the world and took a moment to honor their crewmate, a first-time flier in space — all after hearing from a NASA Apollo astronaut.
Shortly after waking up Sunday, April 5, the Artemis II astronauts, who are currently on the way to fly around the moon, heard the voice of someone other than Mission Control: Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke.
“Hello Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy. This is Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke. John Young and I landed on the moon in 1972 in a lunar moduel we named Orion,” said Duke. “I’m glad to see a different kind of Orion helping return humans to the moon as America charts the course to the lunar surface.”
Duke flew to the moon in April 1972 during the Apollo 16 mission. He flew alongside John Young and Ken Mattingly. While Mattingly orbited the moon, Duke and Young landed with Duke leaving behind on the moon something special to him.
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“Below you on the moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we and America and all of the world are cheering you on,” said Duke.
“Thanks to you and the whole team on the ground for building on our Apollo legacy with Artemis,” said Duke. “Godspeed and safe travels home.”
On Monday, April 6, the Artemis II crew will make their closest approach to the moon as they swing around the far side. With the current lighting conditions, they will see views that were in darkness during the Apollo missions. NASA has said photos taken with the crew’s cameras and iPhones will be revealed afterward.
They are expected to return to Earth on Friday, April 10 with a splashdown off California.
Not every astronaut can say they received their astronaut wings while flying to the moon. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen can.
Astronauts have a long-standing tradition of receiving their astronaut wings upon their first flight to space. It’s a gold pin that honors the accomplishment.
While flying toward the moon, commander Reid Wiseman presented the astronaut wings to mission specialist Hansen live on NASA TV.
After the short ceremony, the astronauts each gave a short Easter message to everyone back on Earth.
“We were talking up here as a crew, and we wanted to send a special Easter message on this day. And no matter your faith or religion, for me the teachings of Jesus were always a very simple truth of love — universal love. Love yourself and love others,” said Hansen.
“And something for us, being up here and looking back at all of you through one tiny window — that just resonates 100 percent true,” Hansen said. “And our goal as humanity should be to just follow in that example.”
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.

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