Artemis II pilot thanks NASA for letting him fly Orion by hand: 'I'm still blown away by that trust'

MORRISON, Colorado - The Artemis II crew that circuited the moon earlier this year came full circle, dropping by a distinctive spot on Earth that's visually reminiscent of both the moon and Mars.

On Aug.

3, the vast and stunning Red Rocks Amphitheatre served as both an inoculation of near-term nostalgia and heart-felt congratulations to the crew for the impressive journey of Artemis II.

The 10-day mission began on April 1 of this year , flew around the moon and back , and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

It was the first crewed flight to saunter spaceward beyond low Earth orbit in 53 years.

Some 8,500 people packed the open-air venue at Red Rocks to make eye-contact with space travelers Reid Wiseman, commander, Victor Glover, pilot, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists – all of them clearly awestruck by the crowd reaction.

The event was a broader post-flight campaign for the foursome, also spotlighting the region's contributions to the sojourn of Artemis II.

A science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fest was also part of the early morning affair.

The Artemis II crew speaks at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on Aug.

3, 2026. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin) Iconic location "I can't imagine a more iconic location on Earth to hear about the trip to the moon," said Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space and a major aerospace contractor for the Artemis program.

There were hundreds of suppliers across the rocky mountain region, over 10,000 employees, that supported the Artemis II mission, he told the gathered throng.

Leadership from industry prime contractors including Lockheed Martin, Amentum, Boeing, L3 Harris and Northrop Grumman took part in the salute to the Artemis II voyage.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis pointed out that "here in Colorado, we're a mile closer to space." As the best and biggest homecoming for the Artemis II crew, he added, "keep reaching for the stars." Lori Glaze, NASA associate administrator for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, said today "is a truly revolutionary and exciting time for NASA and America's space program.

We are going to reach farther.