NASA’s Artemis II Crew Returns to Earth After Record-Breaking Lunar Mission
NASA’s Artemis II astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, April 10, 2026, completing the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years .
The Orion spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, made a parachute-assisted landing as recovery teams moved in to retrieve the crew . “What a journey,” Wiseman said moments after landing. “We are stable one. Four green crewmembers” .
A Mission of Historic Firsts
The 10-day journey marked several milestones. The crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth—surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 . Glover became the first Black astronaut to reach the Moon’s vicinity, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first Canadian .
During the mission, the astronauts observed the Moon’s far side—areas never seen by human eyes—and witnessed a solar eclipse from deep space . They captured more than 7,000 images of the lunar surface, including rare views of Earthrise .
Fiery Re-entry and Recovery
Re-entry was among the mission’s most demanding phases. The spacecraft traveled at about 25,000 mph, enduring temperatures approaching 5,000°F as superheated plasma built up around the capsule .
Following splashdown, recovery teams from NASA and the U.S. Navy helped the astronauts exit the Orion capsule. They were transported by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for medical evaluations . All four astronauts walked unassisted across the ship’s deck—an encouraging sign after 10 days in microgravity .
Paving the Way for the Future
President Donald Trump praised the mission on Truth Social, calling the trip “spectacular” and the landing “perfect,” adding: “We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!” .
NASA officials hailed the mission as a critical test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, which performed successfully throughout the journey . The data gathered will directly support upcoming missions, including Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface .
“The path to the moon is open,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator. But he added that the work ahead remains greater than the work behind .
