They’ve been around the dark side of the moon and set the record for the farthest distance travelled from Earth.
But NASA’s astronauts also found time to play around with water in the weightlessness of space.
An incredible video shows the Artemis II team experimenting with a droplet of water while in the Orion capsule.
The liquid can be seen forming a perfect sphere as it floats around the cabin.
At one point mission specialist Jeremy Hansen – who had never been to space before the historic mission – looks through the orb as it flips his image upside-down.
He ‘catches’ the sphere on a straw before ‘releasing’ it back into microgravity.
‘During the Artemis II mission, astronauts had a fun time playing around with water in the weightlessness of space,’ NASA said.
‘Artemis II was Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s first spaceflight – so his crewmates taught him a lot about the physics of water in space.’
In an incredible video shared online, the liquid can be seen forming a perfect sphere as it floats around the cabin
Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen – who had never been to space before the historic mission – looks through the orb
On Earth, water that is not in a container will lie flat in a puddle due to gravity.
However in space, water pulls itself into a perfect sphere because molecules on the surface attract each other equally in all directions with nothing to flatten them out.
A sphere is a shape with the smallest possible surface area for a given volume – meaning when gravity is weak or absent, surface tension pulls the water into a ball.
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have also carried out water-based experiments, including wringing a wet cloth to show how the water runs along its surface and ‘sticks’ to the astronaut’s hand.
Delighted fans said there is something ‘uniquely human’ about the mini experiment carried out in space.
One wrote: ‘Exploration isn’t just technical. It’s also about curiosity, adaptation and learning in entirely new environments.’
Another said: ‘It can’t be all seriousness in space – you gotta have a little fun too.’
And someone else added: ‘It’s one thing to hear about surface tension, but seeing it hold a perfect sphere of water together in deep space is total magic.’
He ‘catches’ the sphere on a straw before ‘releasing’ it back into microgravity as part of the experiment
Mr Hansen appears upside-down in the orb thanks to the way the water refracts light. Delighted fans said there was something ‘uniquely human’ about the gimmick
However, others expressed concerns about the gimmick.
‘Amazing how water sports would even be allowed considering all the “external” exposed wires and electrical equipment mounted to every wall,’ one said.
Another added: ‘Is that not hazardous if it gets into the electronics?’
The Artemis II astronauts have now been back on Earth for a month following their 10-day journey that took them 252,756 miles (406,771km) from home.
Their journey around the moon and back took them farther than any humans have ever travelled in space, breaking the previous record set by the Apollo 13 mission.
While the Apollo crew travelled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles on day six of their mission.
While conducting their lunar flyby, the astronauts also named two new craters discovered on the lunar surface – including one named Carroll after the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman.
Amit Kshatriya, the associate administrator of NASA, said Artemis II was the ‘most important human space exploration mission in decades.’
The Artemis II crew, clockwise from left: Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover. They are pictured inside the Orion capsule
The Artemis II astronauts have now been back on Earth for a month following their 10-day journey that took them 252,756 miles (406,771km) from home and around the dark side of the moon
It recently emerged that NASA’s long-awaited plan to land humans back on the moon by 2028 is facing possible delays.
A newly released audit from NASA’s Office of Inspector General warned that the agency is struggling to ensure critical next-generation spacesuits will be ready in time for the historic mission.
The suits are essential for astronauts to safely step onto the lunar surface, meaning any setbacks could directly impact the timeline for humanity’s return to the moon.
Officials acknowledged that original development schedules were overly optimistic and have already slipped by more than a year.
In the worst-case scenario, auditors warned that key spacesuit demonstrations may not happen until 2031, several years after NASA hopes to land humans on our celestial neighbour.
