'SNL' Artemis II skit parodies NASA's historic moon mission. Watch

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAYMon, April 13, 2026 at 1:50 PM UTC

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'SNL' Artemis II skit parodies NASA's historic moon mission. Watch

NASA's Artemis II mission has inspired equal parts awe, joy and and fascination among those who spent days captivated by the historic journey around the moon.

Now, the first human lunar mission since the Apollo era – which came to an end April 10 with a California water landing – has also inspired parody.

"Saturday Night Live" spoofed the trailblazing Artemis II mission in its April 11 episode, hosted by actor Colman Domingo. In the sketch, an increasingly exasperated NASA pilot Victor Glover (Domingo) tries in vain to deliver a moving reflection on the mission while aboard the Orion spacecraft, but is constantly thwarted by the rest of his crewmates.

1 / 0See Artemis II splashdown after record-breaking trip around the moonThe Artemis II crew capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean in this screengrab from a livestream video after the Artemis II crew's flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026.

Here's a look at the "SNL" Artemis skit.

'SNL' Artemis II skit

The "SNL" Artemis II skit, part of an episode recorded and aired April 11, featured "Euphoria" star Domingo as NASA astronaut Victor Glover attempting to record a video for Earth.

But Glover's introspective message is constantly interrupted by the rest of the crew and their sophomoric shenanigans as boredom sets in nine days into the mission. A floating wayward Pringles can, Sarah Sherman as a sleeping NASA mission specialist Christina Koch and more enter the frame, undermining Glover's attempts to wax philosophic about space and the fragility of life on Earth.

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Marcello Hernández as Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen and Mikey Day as commander Reid Wiseman also get up to no shortage of antics in the skit, including a rather gross moment when Wiseman shows off the aftermath of a sneeze in microgravity.

1 / 010 days, 10 photos. Here are the most stunning images from Artemis IIThe Artemis II mission launches April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft hitched a ride to orbit atop NASA's giant 322-foot Space Launch System rocket. Launching atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA ever launched, about 17% more powerful than the iconic Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo era.Watch 'Saturday Night Live' parody of Artemis IIWhat did Artemis II accomplish? What was NASA's moon mission?

1 / 0Artemis II astronauts celebrated at welcome home event after moon mission

NASA celebrates the safe return of the Artemis II crew in Houston, Texas, on April 11, 2026, during a welcoming ceremony a day after splashdown from their moon mission.(L-R) NASA's Artemis II mission astronauts Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover and commander Reid Wiseman greet attendees to their welcoming ceremony at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.

After launching April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA's Artemis II moon mission came to an end April 10 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near California.

During the mission, Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen traveled farther in space than any humans ever have while performing a flyby of the moon's far side, where they collected observations and data for scientists back on Earth.

The mission, the first human lunar venture in more than 50 years, served as a test flight setting the stage for a moon landing planned during Artemis IV in 2028. Up next, though, NASA will test out one or both commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin by having Artemis III astronauts dock with them in Earth during in 2027.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colman Domingo stars in 'SNL' skit spoofing Artemis II moon mission

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