In this image provided by NASA, The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on Monday, April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. (NASA via AP)2026-04-12T15:09:07Z HOUSTON (AP) Never-before-glimpsed views of the moons far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check. With NASAs lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: Whats next? And how do you top that?To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadas Jeremy Hansen at Saturdays jubilant homecoming celebration.Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.The next missions right around the corner, entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crews Pacific splashdown on Friday. In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis IIIs yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musks SpaceX and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin are racing to have their companys lander ready first. Musks Starship and Bezos Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacmans envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there ice that could provide water and rocket fuel. Read More The docking mechanism for Artemis IIIs close-to-home trial run is already at Floridas Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew soon. Like 1969s Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow. Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit a test pilots dream. But theres no question, he noted, that the real astronauts at least in the publics mind were the ones who walked on the moon.Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named after Wisemans late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.Wonderful communicators, almost poets, Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.Apollos manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs. For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis Apollos twin sister in Greek mythology couldnt come fast enough.Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography A Man on the Moon led to the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.Its amazing how far weve come and how different this experience is from back then, Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Fridays reentry alongside the astronauts spouses and children. You know whats at stake, Kshatriya confided afterward. Its going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.Calling it mission complete only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturdays celebration. It is time to go and be ready, he said, pointing at them, because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.