Artemis II Crew Returns Safely After Historic Lunar Flyby

In a landmark achievement for human space exploration, four astronauts from Artemis II safely returned to Earth on April 11, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after a groundbreaking 10-day mission around the Moon.

Historic Journey Beyond the Moon
The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—became the first humans in over 50 years to travel toward the Moon. They also set a new record for the farthest distance ever traveled from Earth by a human crew.

Stunning Scientific and Visual Milestones
During their lunar flyby, the astronauts captured unprecedented views of the Moon’s far side—regions never before seen directly by human eyes—and witnessed a spectacular total solar eclipse from space.

High-Speed Re-entry and Safe Splashdown
The crew re-entered Earth’s atmosphere aboard the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, traveling at nearly 33 times the speed of sound. As expected, the capsule endured extreme heat, becoming enveloped in plasma and undergoing a temporary communication blackout, heightening tension in mission control.

Recovery Operations
The spacecraft safely splashed down under automatic control, where recovery teams aboard the USS John P. Murtha, supported by aircraft and helicopters, successfully retrieved the crew.

Technological Milestones
This mission also marked the first crewed launch of NASA’s powerful Space Launch System and the first human voyage aboard the Orion spacecraft—key components of future missions aimed at returning humans to the Moon and eventually reaching Mars.