Watch: ‘Not Really Religious’ Artemis II Cmdr. Reid Wiseman Broke Down in Tears After Flight When He Saw the Cross on Navy Chaplain’s Collar
The Artemis II crew successfully returned to Earth on April 10, landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, after a nine-day mission that set a new distance record for human space travel.
Commander Reid Wiseman reflected on the experience after landing, telling reporters that the mission had a profound emotional impact on him. Although he described himself as “not really a religious person,” he said he asked to meet a chaplain aboard the recovery ship because he struggled to process what he had experienced.
“There was just no other avenue for me to explain anything or to experience anything, so I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute,” Wiseman said. “And when that man walked in, I’d never met him before in my life, but I saw the cross on his collar and I just broke down in tears. It’s very hard to fully grasp what we just went through.”
The moment has been compared by some commentators to the sentiment in Psalm 19:1, which reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
NEW: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman reflects on being MOVED to tears by the Christian cross after returning to Earth from the historic expedition:
“When I got back on the on the ship — I’m not really a religious person — but there was just no other avenue for me to explain… pic.twitter.com/yk2JBIkxrN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 16, 2026
Crew member and pilot Victor Glover, who has been open about his Christian faith, spoke before the mission about the role of prayer in his life and work. He said he prays before flying and described the importance of faith when undertaking high-risk missions such as spaceflight.
“In the military, there’s a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. There aren’t any on top of rockets, either,” Glover said. He also expressed hope that the mission would inspire cooperation and peace.
Some observers have connected Wiseman’s reaction after the mission with broader philosophical reflections about science and belief, including a quote attributed to physicist Werner Heisenberg suggesting that deeper engagement with science can lead some to reconsider questions of meaning and faith.
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