NASA Astronaut Cries While Seeing Cross after Surviving Artemis II Mission

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After a long, hard journey, NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman broke down in tears after returning from his mission. Though “not a religious man,” the astronaut felt such emotion after his victory that he requested to speak with a Navy chaplain.

According to the Christian Post, on Thursday, April 16th, 2026, Wiseman and many other NASA astronauts who returned from this mission spoke at a press conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Sharing their experiences in space, Wiseman was asked if what he experienced was a “universal connectedness” upon returning to Earth or a “a shift in consciousness.”

Wiseman noted that though he’s not a religious person, “there was just no other avenue for me to explain anything or to experience anything. So I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute. And when that man walked in, I'd never met him before in my life, but I saw the cross on his collar, and I broke down in tears."

Explaining what he and the other astronauts experienced as too much for words, he added that they all need more time to decompress. Since medical testing, Wiseman added, "We have not had that reflection time. So I'm basing this on what we saw. And when the sun eclipsed behind the moon, I think all four of us ... I turned to Victor [Glover], and I said, 'I don't think humanity has evolved to the point of being able to comprehend what we're looking at right now because it was otherworldly.'"

Glover, the Artemis II pilot, noted that for him, leaving Earth has only reinforced his faith.

“You are special in all of this emptiness,” Glover said. “This is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe. You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together.”

“Whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not … this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we got to get through this together.”

The Artemis II mission lasted just over a week and was a key step toward “a long-term return to the moon and Mars” (NASA). The next Artemis IV mission is scheduled for 2028 and will also be approximately 1 week long.

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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images / Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Contributor

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.