By Kyle Jackson
Grand Rapids native, Mission Specialist Christina Koch is now celebrated as a hero who has made history both locally and nationwide after her return from space on Friday, April 10.
Koch was born in 1979 in Grand Rapids Michigan and is the first woman in history to travel to the moon and back.
First becoming a NASA astronaut in 2013, Koch has set multiple records for women in space. These records include completing the first female space walk, the first solo piloted flight by a woman, and the farthest woman from earth.
In addition, Koch spent the majority of 2019 with the International Space Station, assisting and participating on Expedition 59-61.
NASA released a document upon their return, stating fair pride in the achievements of Artemis II and hopes for the future.
“The Artemis II crew is home. The entry, descent, and landing systems performed as designed and the final test was completed as intended. This moment belongs to the thousands of people across fourteen countries who built, tested, and trusted this vehicle. Their work protected four human lives traveling at 25,000 miles per hour and brought them safely back to Earth,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya.
The Artemis II splashed down approximately 60 miles off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 est.
“Artemis II proved the vehicle, the teams, the architecture, and the international partnership that will return humanity to the lunar surface.” Kshatriya said. “Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy carried the hopes of this world farther than humans have traveled in more than half a century. Fifty‑three years ago, humanity left the Moon. This time, we returned to stay. The future is ours to win.”
Koch’s family also expressed immense pride in her achievements.
“We’re just proud as can be, couldn’t be any prouder,” Loretta Homrich, Koch’s Aunt, said in an interview to local news station WoodTV8. “It’s just an amazing accomplishment.”
Prior to the launch of Artemis II, Koch’s family stayed in Florida, supporting Koch in any way they could as they watched her dreams come true.
“Their journey up there is done, but not down here on Earth. They’ve still got more to do,” Homrich said.
With the mission concluded, the next planned steps for human space travel are another visit to the moon in 2028, landing on its surface. This is something that hasn’t been done since 1959 with Apollo 17.
“Let’s hope that we can all come together as Americans and Canadians, and I’ll be thankful for everything they’ve accomplished up there,” Homrich said. “If you put your mind to it, you can do whatever you want, you can go farther, you can do more, you can push yourself. Because Christina pushes herself, and she gets it done. And I’ve learned that we can do that too.”
“So… I may have not learned, I know I haven’t learned, everything that this journey has yet to teach me, but there’s one new thing I know, and that is Planet Earth, you are a crew. Thank you.” Koch said during a public comment on Saturday, April 11.
