Carole Radziwill Faces Backlash Over Comments on Lunar Mission: ‘Confused'
Carole Radziwill has drawn backlash online after questioning the excitement surrounding NASA's Artemis II mission, which safely returned astronauts from a historic lunar flyby earlier this month.
In a post on Threads that racked up 89,700 views, the former Real Housewives of New York Citystar shared NASA footage of the spacecraft's return to Earth and appeared to downplay its significance.
"What's new? Not this. We did this 60 years ago. Why is everyone acting like this is the first time?" Radziwill, 62, wrote. "Congrats but also very confused."
The footage she referenced showed NASA's Orion spacecraft descending into the Pacific Ocean with parachutes deployed. According to NASA, the image was captured on April 10, 2026, seconds before splashdown, marking the safe conclusion of the nearly 10‑day Artemis II mission.
View on Threads
Under the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts on increasingly complex missions to the Moon, with the long‑term goal of establishing a sustainable human presence and eventually preparing for the first crewed missions to Mars. Artemis II represented a major step in that plan, becoming NASA's first crewed mission beyond low‑Earth orbit in more than 50 years, since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Newsweek reached out to a representative for Carole Radziwill for comment via email.
Who Is Carole Radziwill?
Radziwill is a former ABC News correspondent and bestselling author, as well as a former cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City.
Radziwill has been the subject of renewed public attention in recent months due to her close friendship with the late Carolyn Bessette‑Kennedy, which she addressed in a January essay on her Substack, The Voice of Reason, following the release of FX's Love Story.
Why Artemis II Was Different
While the mission did not include a Moon landing, it set several historic firsts.
Christina Koch became the first woman to travel that far into space, Victor Glover became the first Black astronaut to leave low‑Earth orbit, and Jeremy Hansen became the first Canadian astronaut to do so.
The four‑person crew-commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Glover, mission specialist Koch, and Canadian astronaut Hansen-traveled roughly 252,760 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. The mission also captured unprecedented views of the far side of the Moon.
Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, landing within seconds of its targeted return window.
‘Don't Yuck Our Yum’
Radziwill's remarks sparked swift pushback from Threads users, many of whom took issue with the suggestion that the mission lacked significance.
"Carole, you should delete this," wrote one user, Janet. "Because going to space and coming home safely is a big deal."
Another commenter emphasized the broader impact of the mission, writing: "Because exploring places no human has ever been and seeing things no human has ever seen is a big deal. Because science is a big deal!"
Others pointed to representation and timing as key reasons for the public enthusiasm.
"Because the crew is diverse. Because many people weren't alive then. Because we so desperately need some joy," wrote Kimberly Ann. "Moon joy."
Several users also highlighted how much technology-and access-has changed since the Apollo era.
"Because we've never gotten a live stream of the entire process, start to finish, so the world gets to go along for the ride," another commenter added. "Because all the photos and videos we have of doing this the last time were made with 50‑year‑old technology."
Jenni, another Threads user, summed it up this way: "Because women and people of color were hidden and excluded the last time. Because they traveled 600,000 miles and still managed to splash down within 20 seconds of their target time thanks to math and science. Because it's beautiful and awe inspiring."
Others centered their response on Koch's historic role.
"Christina Koch has become the first and only woman to travel to and around the moon as part of NASA's Artemis II space mission," wrote Rosie Finizio. "So… kind of a big deal, no?"
Veteran broadcaster Katie Couric also weighed in, writing: "Don't yuck our yum. We needed this. We really needed this."
Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 7:10 AM.