Christina Koch shares viral video of dog’s reaction after Artemis II trip

The moment Christina Koch is reuninted with her dog, Sadie. Photo / Christina Koch

An astronaut on the Artemis II mission has shared footage of her dog’s enthusiastic reaction to her return home following a journey around the moon.

Christina Koch, 47, landed back on Earth on Friday after a historic lunar flyby with her three crewmates.

The video showed her dog, Sadie, bursting into an excited frenzy when she spotted her owner after the nearly 10-day mission. The dog then runs around in circles and grabs a toy for her owner.

Koch goes on her knees to say hello to her dog.

“I’m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion,” captioned Koch in her upload of the moment on Sunday.

“Sadie taught me everything I needed to know about being an emotional support animal. Didn’t expect that would come in handy.”

Koch then takes her dog for a run along the beach.

The post has gathered thousands of likes and comments.

“Sadie has no idea how far you travelled to see her again. Love this so much,” read one comment.

“Orbiting the moon and running on the beach in the same week is unbelievable. I’m obsessed,” read another.

Christina Koch running with her dog, Sadie, after the trip to the moon. Photo / Christina Koch

Koch was one of four astronauts travelling on Artemis II, becoming the first humans to fly near the moon in more than 50 years.

Alongside Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, the four astronauts surpassed the record for distance from Earth set during the Apollo 13 mission in the 1970s.

The astronauts also carried out a lunar observation period lasting more than six hours, documenting surface features of the moon that had previously been captured mainly through robotic photography.

The Artemis II crew photographed an “Earthset” on their return journey, capturing the moment when the Earth dips below the moon’s horizon.

Nasa released the image as a nod to the famous Earthrise photo captured during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.

“Humanity, from the other side,” the White House said, reposting the photo. “First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon.”