Artemis II astronaut posts reunion with dog and it's bringing people to tears

Artemis II astronaut posts reunion with dog and it's bringing people to tearsThe Artemis II mission was the first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years and NASA claims this marks a key step toward long‑term return to the Moon and future missions to MarsCommentsNewsJess Flaherty Senior News Reporter10:30, 15 Apr 2026View ImageThe Artemis II crew. From left, mission specialist Christina Koch, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, pilot Victor Glover, and commander Reid Wiseman(Image: NASA via Getty Images)A NASA astronaut has shared the heartwarming reaction her dog had after she returned home from space and it’s moved people to tears. Christina Koch, a mission specialist on NASA’s Artemis II flight, had spent more than a week in spaceflight after launching on April 1 and, alongside the rest of the crew, travelled within just 4,067 miles of the moon’s surface.‌The Artemis II mission came to an end on April 10 as the astronauts safely returned to Earth following the historic 10 days of space travel.‌When Christina returned home, her dog Sadie was overjoyed to see her. In a video shared to the astronaut’s official Instagram page, the small dog can be seen jumping up at the front door and tapping at the glass with her front paws.‌Once the door opens, Sadie rushes to greet Christina, her tail and lower half wagging in a clear display of excitement.In the caption accompanying the video, Christina, 47, penned: “I’m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion. Sadie taught me everything I needed to know about being an emotional support animal. Didn’t expect that would come in handy.”Then in the next clip, Christina and Sadie can be seen running and splashing around in the sea while making the most of a beach visit.‌In the comments section, fellow Instagram users were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “You’ve traveled all the way to the moon, you see the Earth as a tiny dot, and then you come back and you’re on a beach with your dog. That is the immense gr...