Artemis II astronauts detail 'intense' reentry in interview with ABC News' David Muir

Key Points:

• The Artemis II crew described reentry as an intense and wild experience, with mission specialist Christina Koch noting it is at least ten times more intense than a rocket launch due to atmospheric friction and heat reaching up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
• During reentry, the Orion spacecraft was engulfed in a plasma bubble causing a six-minute communications blackout, with crew members experiencing a bright fireball and rumbling sensations unlike anything they could simulate on Earth.
• Commander Reid Wiseman praised pilot Victor Glover for his steady performance under four Gs of force for 13 minutes, maintaining critical operational cadence despite the communication blackout.
• The crew reflected on the emotional highlight of proposing to name a lunar crater after Wiseman's late wife, Carroll, a tribute that deeply resonated with the commander and his family.
• Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen expressed profound gratitude for the Orion capsule's role in safely returning the crew, calling the splashdown a "spiritual moment" and welcoming them back to Earth.