On April 1, 2026, four human beings—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—left Earth aboard Artemis II on a journey around the Moon. For nearly ten days, they traveled farther from Earth than any humans had ever gone. From nearly a quarter-million miles away, Earth appeared as what it truly is: one small, beautiful world suspended in an immense universe.
And then there was the Moon. The astronauts saw the Moon’s far side firsthand, following a path around the Moon that humanity had not traveled since the Apollo era. Yet even there, in the deepest darkness of space, the Earth remained visible, illuminated by the light of the Sun. Perhaps that is one of the enduring lessons of Artemis II: the farther we travel into the darkness, the more clearly we can see the light.
The mission was a technological triumph, but it also offered something deeply human—a moment to step back from our ordinary lives and see our world with new eyes. We may have traveled nearly a quarter-million miles from home, but we never really left home behind. We simply saw it—and perhaps ourselves—more clearly. CFM wrote "Back to the Moon" to celebrate this extraordinary achievement.
LYRICS
It's been a while since we reached that high
Where the stars hang close and the earth spins by
We planted flags on that moonscape before
And now it's time for much more
Now a fire's risin burnin bright
Artemis Two headin back into the night
Dreams don't die they just lay low
Waitin on our chance to go
Feel the fire feel the call
We were born to risk it all
We're goin back to the moon again
On the wings of courage and the hearts within
Stars and stripes in the great unknown
Carryin faith from back home
Back to the moon again…
From the launchpad flame to the heavens wide
With the whole world watchin with pride inside
Say a prayer as they go
For a safe return…to their home
They train for years for a moment's call
Standin ready to give their all
Brave souls ridin a trail of fire
Chasin something higher and higher
Through the darkness past the blue
Seein Earth the blue orb, a different view
God's creation laid out below
So beautiful in its glow
Through the night through the flame
Every step none for personal fame
We're goin back to the moon again
On the wings of courage and the hearts within
Stars and stripes in the great unknown
Carryin faith from back home
Back to the moon again…
From the slingshot swing round its dark side
They feel the pull of Earth and the reentry ride
Everyone's prayin soft and low
Bring em back safe I hope so
Speed of light but time stands still
When you're trustin God and human will
A fragile world in the black abyss
Reminds you how miraculous this is
Hallelujah… Hallelujah…
Hold on hold on
Through the ride we press on
We're goin back to the moon again
With even more faith than we had back then
Bless the ones who took that flight
Through the dark into the light
Hallelujah… Hallelujah…
We're goin back to the moon again
Let the whole world say amen
Lift your voices loud and strong
We've been waitin far too long
Back to the moon again…
Hallelujah…
God bless our astronauts
God bless America