NASA's Swails to Newsmax: Artemis Mission Sparks 'Moon Joy'

NASA Associate Deputy Administrator Casey Swails on Tuesday highlighted the historic scope of the agency's latest Artemis mission, describing on Newsmax the flight's record-setting achievements, new scientific insights, and a renewed sense of global inspiration and "moon joy" as astronauts begin their journey back to Earth.

Swails told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that Orion is now transitioning out of the moon's gravitational influence, with Earth's gravity taking over for the return leg carrying four astronauts home.

Reflecting on the mission so far, Swails called it "an incredible day" and said it marked a new high point for human spaceflight.

"I don't think it gets any more exciting in human spaceflight," Swails said. "The crew essentially started their day setting the record for the farthest humans have ever gone into space. They did the incredible lunar flyby, a ton of science."

Swails said the scientific community was energized by what they observed during the mission.

"I've never seen a group of scientists so excited," she said. "I had an opportunity to be in the science evaluation room. So much energy."

Among the highlights, the crew witnessed an eclipse and capped the day with a call from President Donald Trump, adding to what Swails described as widespread enthusiasm around the mission.

"Just a lot of, as we've heard over the mission, a lot of moon joy," she said.

Swails also addressed the temporary communications blackout that occurred as the spacecraft passed behind the moon, emphasizing it was expected and not a cause for concern.

"That was expected for us," she said. "I wouldn't even describe that as a part that is unnerving because it was expected."

She added that the blackout period provided a valuable opportunity for the astronauts.

"For the crew, it gave them an opportunity to really focus on the science, because that was when they were from the furthest, they got to do detailed observations," Swails said.

One of the mission's most significant contributions, Swails said, came from human observations of the moon's far side, offering perspectives not previously captured.

"They were about 4,000 miles off the lunar surface," she said. "What's really incredible about that was they got to see things with human eyes that we've never been able to see before."

Swails compared the experience to seeing a destination in person versus viewing photographs.

"It's almost like when you've had someone show you a picture when they went on a trip, and they say, well, the photo doesn't do it justice," she said.

"To be able to get their dimensional descriptions of what they were seeing when they passed the far side, things that we didn't even see during Apollo, was really incredible," Swails added.

Beyond the technical and scientific milestones, Swails said the mission represents a broader moment of inspiration.

"The most thrilling part is really doing something that is inspiring all of humanity," she said. "We had almost the entire world watching yesterday and supporting these four astronauts."

She added that the mission reflects a new era of exploration, with advances in communication and global engagement compared to earlier lunar missions.

"It's very different than what we had 50 years ago," Swails said. "It's a really, really incredible moment and it's the start of what we're doing as we go forward."

Swails also noted that NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface in the coming years.

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