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

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

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.

Apr 10, 2026, 7:35 PM EDT

Major phase of final descent

Orion's crew module has separated from the European Service Module, exposing the heat shield that will protect the spacecraft during its high-speed travel through the Earth's atmosphere.

That shield will withstand temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during the high-speed entry.

The Orion crew module separates from the service module as the Artemis II crew prepares to reenter Earth's atmosphere, April 10, 2026.
NASA
Apr 10, 2026, 7:23 PM EDT

Preparations for splashdown

U.S. Navy divers could be seen preparing to deploy from the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha, which will retrieve the crewmembers and NASA's Orion spacecraft once they splash down off the coast of San Diego.

US Navy divers preparing to deploy from the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha to recover Artemis II crewmembers and NASA's Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, Calif., April 10, 2026.
Bill Ingalls/NASA
Apr 10, 2026, 6:38 PM EDT

Astronauts suited up

Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover work at the controls of the Orion spacecraft after changing into their spacesuits as it travels to Earth ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, April 10, 2026.
NASA

Members of the crew can be seen in their orange spacesuits now while at the controls of the Orion spacecraft ahead of their reentry.

Apr 10, 2026, 6:19 PM EDT

Timeline for Orion descent

Here's a look at the "carefully timed sequence" of the final stages of Orion's descent, according to NASA. All times Eastern.

7:33 p.m.: Orion's crew module will separate from the European Service Module, exposing the heat shield that will protect the spacecraft as it travels through the Earth's atmosphere.

7:37 p.m.: Orion will perform an 18-second raise burn that fine-tunes the reentry angle of the spacecraft to minimize the time the heat shield will experience high temperatures.

7:53 p.m.: Orion will make first contact with the upper atmosphere, beginning a planned 6-minute communications blackout. The crew is expected to experience up to 3.9 Gs as the spacecraft travels nearly 35 times the speed of sound.

7:59 p.m.: NASA will regain communications with the crew.

8:03 p.m.: At around 22,000 feet in altitude, drogue parachutes will deploy to help slow the capsule ahead of splashdown.

8:04 p.m.: Three main parachutes will deploy at around 6,000 feet, reducing Orion's speed to less than 136 mph.

8:07 p.m.: Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, having slowed to 20 mph.

Artemis II splashdown corridor off the coast of California.
NASA

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