Artemis II astronauts return to Earth after historic lunar mission
The Orion capsule completed a 'perfect bullseye splashdown' off the California coast, concluding a 10-day voyage that set a new distance record.
Quick Look
- The Artemis II crew has successfully returned to Earth after a 10-day lunar mission, achieving a 'perfect bullseye splashdown' in the Pacific Ocean.
- The mission set a new record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Artemis II was a 10-day lunar voyage mission that aimed to send astronauts farther from Earth than ever before, building on the legacy of the Apollo missions. The mission's success is a key step in NASA's broader Artemis program.
Artemis II's history-making astronauts have successfully arrived back on Earth with a "perfect bullseye splashdown" off the coast of California.
After its 10-day lunar voyage, the Orion capsule hit the atmosphere travelling at Mach 33, or 33 times the speed of sound - a blistering pace not seen since the Apollo missions.
Tension mounted in mission control as the capsule, named Integrity by its crew, became engulfed in red-hot plasma and entered a planned six-minute communication blackout.
All eyes were on Orion's life-protecting heat shield, which withstood thousands of degrees of heat at the moment of re-entry.
The capsule then deployed nearly a dozen parachutes to slow itself down to around 17mph for the moment at 5.07pm local time on Friday (1.07am UK time on Saturday) when it hit the Pacific Ocean - which NASA described as a "perfect bullseye splashdown".
The triumphant crew - commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen - emerged into sunlight and were checked over by medics.
NASA's mission control in Houston, Texas, where the astronauts' families were huddled in a viewing room, erupted in a celebration, with hundreds of people pouring in from the back support rooms.
Military helicopters hoisted the crew one by one from an inflatable raft attached to the capsule, taking them on a short trip to the navy's recovery ship, USS John P Murtha.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship: "These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can't imagine a better crew."
The astronauts are expected to spend the night aboard the US navy ship and will be flown to Houston to be reunited with their families on Saturday, NASA said.
Artemis II broke Apollo 13's distance record, marking the farthest humans have ever journeyed from Earth when it reached 252,756 miles.
In one of the mission's most emotional scenes, the astronauts asked to name two craters on the moon after their ship and Commander Wiseman's late wife, Carroll.
During last Monday's record-breaking lunar fly-by, they documented parts of the moon never seen before by the human eye and witnessed a total solar eclipse.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
NASA will announce the next phase of the Artemis program, including details on Artemis III, in the coming months.
Likely · Within months
Further analysis of the astronauts' health will reveal specific physiological changes due to the extended space travel.
Very likely · Within weeks
The request to name moon craters will be considered and potentially approved by relevant astronomical bodies.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What are the specific health implications for the astronauts after their 10-day space travel?
- What are the next steps and timeline for future Artemis missions?
- What was the outcome of the request to name moon craters?
- What specific scientific data was collected during the lunar fly-by?
