Over the moon: Watch Astronaut Christina Koch reunite with dog after lunar mission
HOUSTON - For NASA astronaut Christina Koch, the journey of nearly 700,000 miles around the moon and back ended with a welcome that was decidedly down to earth.
Koch welcomed home by dog Sadie
Koch, 47, shared a heartwarming video on Instagram on Sunday that documented her reunion with her rescue dog, Sadie, just days after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The footage shows her excited dog sensing Koch’s arrival before she even enters the room, pawing at the door and spinning in frantic, joyful circles as the history-making astronaut walks through the door in her blue flight suit.
"I’m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion," Koch wrote in the caption. "Sadie taught me everything I needed to know about being an emotional support animal. Didn’t expect that would come in handy."
Artemis II Lunar Mission
The backstory:
Koch returned to Earth on Friday alongside crew mates Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen. The Artemis II mission, the first manned moon mission in more than 50 years, marked a major milestone in space exploration, as the crew traveled farther into deep space than any humans before. Koch herself made history as the first woman to journey beyond low Earth orbit and fly around the moon.
Artemis II splashdown live: Timeline of events, minute by minute
NASA's historic Artemis 11 mission to the moon will end Friday when the Orion capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego around 8:07 p.m. EDT. Here's a timeline of the Orion capsule's return to Earth.
Koch and Sadie enjoy the beach
The viral video, which has already garnered millions of views, captures the chaotic bliss of the reunion as Sadie eventually dashes off to grab a toy to present to her owner. Later clips in the post show the pair enjoying a run along a beach, a stark contrast to the lunar vistas Koch gazed upon just days prior.
While the mission achieved technical triumphs and set records for human distance from Earth, the astronaut’s homecoming served as a reminder of the personal sacrifices made by those who venture into the stars. For Sadie, however, the significance of the 10-day lunar flyby seemed irrelevant compared to the simple fact that her favorite person was home.
"Sadie has no idea how far you traveled to see her again," one user commented on the post. "Love this so much."
Dig deeper:
Koch previously went viral for a similar reunion with Sadie in 2020 after spending a record-breaking 328 days aboard the International Space Station. Whether coming from the ISS or the far side of the moon, the greeting remains the same.
The Source: Information in this article came from Christina Koch's Instagram and NASA.