The four Artemis II astronauts are returning to Earth after a nearly 10-day mission circling the moon, with a planned splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California. NASA video showed the Orion capsule reentering the atmosphere at speeds exceeding 24,000 miles per hour, then descending under three red-and-white parachutes to a picture‑perfect Pacific recovery.
The capsule experienced a roughly six‑minute communications blackout during the fiery reentry, when outside temperatures reached as high as about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That period of silence followed concerns stemming from Artemis I, when unexpected heat‑shield damage was observed; NASA officials said they addressed the issue before this crewed flight.
The USS John P. Murtha was standing by for recovery, marking the first Defense Department–NASA joint spacecraft retrieval since Apollo 17 in 1972. Sailors will extract the crew, perform routine medical checks, and then fly the astronauts to Houston to reunite with family and debrief. The crew brought back thousands of photographs and hours of recordings after traveling closer to the lunar surface than anyone has in decades.
The mission was intended primarily as a systems test for returning humans to the moon. The spacecraft included international hardware—the European Space Agency built the service module with solar arrays and engines—and the crew represented a more diverse, international team than Apollo: Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen flew aboard alongside U.S. astronauts, with mission members noted as Christina Koch and Victor Glover. The flight offered views of lunar terrain never seen by humans before and left the crew with a lot to process and report to engineers and scientists.
The mission also had minor in‑flight issues, including plumbing problems with the capsule’s toilet, which drew attention given the long-duration and distant nature of the flight.
Looking ahead, NASA plans additional tests next year, including orbital demonstrations of lunar lander technologies, and officials have said a crewed lunar landing could occur as soon as 2028, though timelines may shift. Overall, Artemis II demonstrated key capabilities for returning people to the moon and represented a high‑profile international step toward future lunar exploration.