The Artemis II mission has left Jenni Gibbons feeling tense - and tired.
But the Calgary-born astronaut isn't deterred from watching history unfold from deep inside NASA's Mission Control in Houston.
"I’m truly so tired," she told The Canadian Press. "But when I wake up, I think that there’s no place I would want to be other than Mission Control and following Jeremy and my other colleagues."
On Monday, Canadian Jeremy Hansen and his American crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch - completed a six-hour lunar flyby, traveling farther into space than any humans before.
This milestone brings humanity closer to landing on the moon’s south pole within two years.
Gibbons was to fly in Hansen’s place if needed. Since April 1, she has been guiding the crew from Earth.
She recalled the tension during the Orion capsule’s communication blackout behind the moon.
"We were lucky today," Gibbons said. "A couple moments of tension, but overall super positive."
The crew captured unprecedented images and geological data of the moon’s far side.
They are now returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California.
Gibbons is especially excited about photos of a total solar eclipse and two newly named craters - one for the Orion spacecraft, and another honoring Wiseman’s late wife.
Gibbons said this mission marks a new era in space exploration.
"This has always felt like Jeremy’s mission to me," she said. "He’s a very dear friend. Seeing him live his dream has been such a highlight for me."