Crew makes 1st appearance since return from historic mission
The Artemis II crews -- NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen -- are making their first public appearance on Saturday since returning from space.
The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, concluding the historic mission that broke the record for the farthest human spaceflight in history on its trip around the moon.
Artemis II NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, is seen after being flown from USS John P. Murtha to Naval Air Station North Island on Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, on April 11, 2026.
Keegan Barber/NASA
Artemis II NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot, greets Capt. Loren Jacobi of Naval Base San Diego after being flown from USS John P. Murtha to Naval Air Station North Island on Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, on April 11, 2026.
Keegan Barber/NASA
Artemis II NASA astronaut Christina Koch, mission specialist, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, greet NASA team members after being flown from USS John P. Murtha to Naval Air Station North Island on Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, on April 11, 2026.
Keegan Barber/NASA
Artemis II NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, greets NASA team members after being flown from USS John P. Murtha to Naval Air Station North Island on Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, on April 11, 2026.
Keegan Barber/NASA
Apr 11, 2026, 10:37 AM EDT
Trump says he will welcome Artemis II crew to White House 'soon'
Following the successful historic splashdown of the Artemis II mission Friday evening, President Donald Trump congratulated the crew and looked forward to welcoming them at the White House, which he says will take place "soon."
"Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon," Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform.
On Monday, the president called into the spacecraft and told the crew that he would "absolutely find the time" to welcome them to the Oval Office, though he did not specify when.
Apr 10, 2026, 10:58 PM EDT
NASA officials hail 'new era' of space exploration after successful mission
At a press conference following the safe splashdown of the Artemis II crew in the Pacific Ocean on Friday evening, NASA officials hailed the historic 10-day mission and said bigger challenges lie ahead.
"So, ya'll, we did it," said Lori Haze, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
Howard Hu, NASA Orion program manager, said: "This is the start of a new era of human space exploration."
By 2028, NASA plans to land a crew on the surface of the moon with the Artemis IV mission.
Lori Glaze (C), acting associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, speaks next to NASA's associate administrator Amit Kshatriya (L) and NASA flight director Rick Henfling (R), during a press conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 10, 2026, after the Artemis II astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Amit Kshatriya, associate NASA administrator, said the successful ending of the mission means "the path to the lunar surface is open," but hard work remains ahead.
"Fifty-three years ago, humanity left the moon. This time we returned to stay," Kshatriya said. "Let us finish what they started ... Let us not go to plant flags and leave -- but to stay."
Apr 10, 2026, 9:56 PM EDT
Crew members hoisted into helicopters
One by one, the members of the Artemis crew are being hoisted into waiting helicopters after the successful splashdown following the 10-day mission around the moon.
The helicopters are carrying the astronauts to the USS John P. Murtha off the coast of San Diego.
A NASA Artemis II crew member is pulled up to a helicopter from a raft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, April 10, 2026.
NASA
A NASA Artemis II crew member is pulled up to a helicopter from a raft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, April 10, 2026.
