The crew of Artemis II were greeted this morning with a message from the late Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell, who flew aboard Apollo 8, the first mission to the Moon, and was the commander of Apollo 13, flying around the Moon in a free-return trajectory in a similar path to that followed by Artemis II. Though Lovell passed away last year, his spirit lives on in the heart of the Artemis program as we follow in his incredible footsteps.

new fan poster for artemis II! done in photoshop <3

James Arthur Lovell Jr. ( March 25, 1928 – August 7, 2025)

[Transcript of Lovell's speech, starting at 0:56 seconds: Hello Artemis 2! This is Apollo astronaut, Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Bowman, and Bill Andrews, and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity's first up-close look at the moon, and got a view of our home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I'm proud to pass that torch on to you, as you swing around the moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars, for the benefit of all. It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, and Victor, and Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you, good luck and godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.]

Posted on Flickr by Dan Beaumont Space Museum: link