NASA's Orion spacecraft returned to Earth on Saturday after its journey around the Moon, with the crew splashing down in the Pacific Ocean around 8:07 p.m. EDT off the coast of San Diego, California, according to official sources. The Artemis expedition's spacecraft descended toward Earth with the help of three parachutes and landed as planned in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, as reported. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen returned to Earth, marking the end of a mission that lasted 10 days.
The most critical part of the journey was the re-entry phase, according to Sveriges Radio Nyheter, which reported that astrophysicist Linn Bolt-Christmas described this as decisive for mission success. The Orion capsule re-entered Earth's atmosphere at speeds around 24,000 mph (38,625 kph), about 32 times the speed of sound, and experienced temperatures up to 2,760°C (5,000°F) during re-entry, multiple reports indicate. It also experienced a communications blackout during re-entry due to plasma buildup before using parachutes to slow its descent for splashdown, though some sources cite different re-entry conditions, with speeds up to 23,839 mph and temperatures up to 1,600°C, highlighting a technical dispute over the exact parameters.
The most critical part of the journey is when the spacecraft re-enters Earth's atmosphere.
The mission achieved a historic milestone by surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight, with the Artemis II crew reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth. The spacecraft broke the record for human travel at about 13:56 EDT on Monday, beating the previous mark of 248,655 miles held since 1970 by Apollo 13, research sources note. During its journey, the crew flew around the far side of the Moon, with astronauts being the first human eyes to see some parts of its surface, according to major media reports.
The Artemis II crew consisted of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, as confirmed by multiple sources. Following splashdown, recovery teams retrieved the crew using helicopters and delivered them to the USS John P. Murtha naval ship, with the crew later returning to Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The exact timeline and sequence of events from splashdown to Houston, including medical evaluations, have not been detailed publicly.
If they succeed in the re-entry, the entire mission is a total success.
Artemis II performed a lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, with the Moon and Earth aligning in the same frame during the flyby, each partially illuminated by the Sun, official sources report. The mission captured views of the far side of the Moon, and the spacecraft dipped to within a few thousand miles of the lunar surface, according to research. The crew witnessed a total eclipse of the Sun as the Moon blocked out its light, adding to the unique celestial observations.
The crew lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1 from launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and they were expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles from launch to splashdown, official sources state. The spacecraft passed within 4,066 miles of the lunar surface during its closest approach, and the crew lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes as they travelled behind the Moon, research indicates. This communications blackout was a planned part of the trajectory.
Swedish astronaut Marcus Wandt commented that humanity's reality has expanded due to the Artemis II mission.
Human elements enriched the mission, with the Artemis II crew naming a crater after Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll Taylor Wiseman, and sharing maple cookies brought by Jeremy Hansen during the flight, according to reports. The crew sent heartfelt messages to their families before returning to Earth, and Jeremy Hansen made a request to NASA mission control to name two craters they observed, one called Integrity after the Orion capsule and another to commemorate Wiseman's wife, research sources say. The four astronauts were seen hugging on the live feed from their capsule after the request, highlighting their camaraderie.
The first crewed test flight under NASA’s Artemis program is underway, with four Artemis II astronauts flying aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft around the Moon and back. The mission tests how the spacecraft’s systems operate in a deep space environment, and astronauts are putting the Orion spacecraft through a series of planned tests to evaluate systems, procedures, and performance in deep space, official sources confirm. Any specific technical issues or anomalies encountered during Artemis II that could impact future missions remain unknown.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen acknowledged the achievement with humility in a statement.
Scientific observations were a key component, as the astronauts began working through a checklist of things to record on the Moon's surface, taking images and making sketches, research indicates. The spacecraft was not planning to land on the Moon but fly around its far side, and the astronauts were the first human eyes to see some parts of the far side's surface and its vast craters and lava plains. The crew's kit included two professional digital SLR cameras – one fitted with a wide‑angle lens – though what scientific data were collected and preliminary findings have not been released.
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build a foundation for crewed missions to Mars, official sources outline. The Artemis II mission is a stepping stone toward future Moon landings and Mars missions, and NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon in the coming years, with a goal of establishing a long-term presence, according to Marcus Wandt. The specific next steps and timeline for the Artemis program following Artemis II, including Artemis III planning, are yet to be detailed.
We saw sights that no human has ever seen, not even Apollo, and that was amazing for us.
Geopolitically, there is a space race between the US and China, with both aiming to establish lunar bases, experts note. This context underscores the strategic importance of Artemis II's success in advancing American lunar ambitions amid global competition.
Official reactions included President Donald Trump congratulating the Artemis II crew on their mission, and he spoke with the Orion team to offer congratulations, research sources add. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman greeted the crew upon recovery, and according to a press conference, he stated that this is just the beginning.
Mission coverage was extensive, with real-time coverage continuing throughout the mission on NASA’s YouTube channel and other platforms, and daily mission status briefings held live from Johnson Space Center in Houston through splashdown, except for Monday, April 6. The crew participated in live conversations throughout the mission, engaging the public in their historic journey.
Swedish astronaut Marcus Wandt commented on the mission's significance, with TV4 Nyheterna reporting that he described humanity's reality expanding due to Artemis II. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen acknowledged the achievement with humility in a statement, saying that this is just the beginning, according to an official statement.
Unknowns persist, including how the crew's physical and psychological health held up during the mission and the results of post-mission medical assessments. NASA has not disclosed any technical issues or anomalies from Artemis II that could affect future missions, and the scientific data collection and preliminary findings await analysis. The broader Artemis program's next steps, including detailed planning for Artemis III, remain under development as the agency builds on this success.