Artemis II returns to Earth as Orion makes a precise splashdown in Pacific Ocean

Artemis II's crew returned after a 10-day lunar mission when the Orion capsule re-entered at about Mach 33 and splashed down off the coast of California; all four astronauts were recovered and taken aboard a U.S. Navy ship.

Artemis II has returned to Earth after a 10-day lunar mission, ending when the Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The capsule re-entered the atmosphere at around Mach 33 and passed through a planned six-minute communications blackout while enveloped in plasma. Mission control monitored the heat shield as it endured extreme temperatures during re-entry. The crew named their capsule Integrity and were recovered by U.S. Navy personnel. Key details: - The capsule deployed nearly a dozen parachutes and touched down at about 17 mph at approximately 5:07 p.m. local time on Friday. - All four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — exited the capsule, were checked by medics, and were hoisted to the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha by military helicopters. - NASA described the splashdown as a precise, targeted recovery, and mission control reacted with celebration while families watched from a Houston viewing room. - Artemis II reached about 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13. - During the lunar fly-by the crew documented lunar terrain not previously seen by humans and observed a total solar eclipse. Summary: The mission extended human distance records and completed with a controlled ocean recovery and medical checks for the crew. The astronauts were expected to spend the night aboard the U.S. Navy ship and then fly to Houston to reunite with their families on Saturday, according to NASA.