'Welcome home, Artemis': Crew celebrates historic 10-day moon mission

After their historic lunar flyby, the crew safely splashed down in the Pacific.

ByMary Kekatos, Julia Jacobo, Leah Sarnoff, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: April 11, 2026, 5:12 PM EDT

NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The four-person crew completed a 695,081-mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.

A "textbook" splashdown took place at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, April 10.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 06, 2026, 7:44 PM EDT

'We will always choose Earth,' Artemis II astronaut says

After contact was regained with the Orion spacecraft, mission specialist Christina Koch shared a message with NASA’s Mission Control on behalf of the crew.

"We will explore, we will build, we will build ships, we will visit again," Koch said. "We will construct science outposts, we will drive rovers, we will do radio astronomy, we will found companies, we will bolster industry we will inspire, but -- ultimately -- we will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other."

NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch, seen here on the fourth day of the mission, prepping for lunar flyby activities after completing aerobic exercise on the flywheel device, April 5, 2026.
NASA

The crew is on its observation break, which will last about an hour, according to Mission Control.

Apr 06, 2026, 7:29 PM EDT

NASA regains communications with Artemis II crew

NASA Mission Control has regained contact with the Artemis II crew as the astronauts have swung around the far side of moon.

"Orion has technically begun its journey home," Mission Control stated.

Apr 06, 2026, 7:18 PM EDT

Orion reaches maximum distance from Earth

While passing around the far side of the moon, the Orion spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth at 252,760 miles.

A crescent shaped Earth is seen behind the crescent Moon as seen just before the Orion spacecraft flew on the back side of the Moon, April 6, 2026.
NASA
Apr 06, 2026, 7:11 PM EDT

Orion makes its closest approach to the moon

Shortly after losing communication with NASA, the Artemis II crew is making its closest approach to the moon.

Orion will be about 4,070 miles above the surface of the moon, according to NASA.

The Artemis II astronauts will be the first humans to see most of the far side of the moon, or the side not visible from Earth, since the Apollo missions.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch lays on her back as she take photographs of the Moon out the window of the Orion spacecraft, April 6, 2026.
NASA

"It turns out there's about 60% of the far side, I think, that has never been seen by human eyes because of the lighting conditions," Reid Wiseman, mission commander, said during a news conference on March 29. "Apollo always wanted that light on the front side of the moon for their landing and launch capability. ... We've seen it in satellite photos, but humans have never, ever seen that before. That's cool."

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