The Artemis II mission crew has completed a 10-day flight around the Moon and returned to Earth. The Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean around 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time, after which the astronauts were evacuated and transported to a military ship.
This was reported by NASA.
The Orion spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, splashed down off the coast of San Diego.
Before landing, the spacecraft entered Earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of about 400,000 feet, traveling at a speed 35 times the speed of sound. This was followed by a brief loss of communication due to plasma formation around the capsule.
During the final stage of descent, auxiliary parachutes deployed first to stabilize Orion, followed by three main parachutes, which slowed the capsule and ensured a safe splashdown.
After landing, engineers performed additional checks and put the capsule into recovery mode. NASA and U.S. military rescue teams approached Orion and began preparing to evacuate the crew.
About an hour later, the astronauts were extracted from the capsule, lifted aboard helicopters, and transported to the landing ship USS John P. Murtha. On board, they underwent initial medical examinations.
Big smiles from Christina and Victor on the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, as they waited to be escorted for their routine post-mission medical checks. pic.twitter.com/3KwZFXTLhI
— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2026
The crew is scheduled to be brought ashore and transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for further examination and analysis of the mission results.
After the capsule is hoisted onto the ship, it will be transported to the San Diego Naval Base and later to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where a detailed inspection, data retrieval, and post-flight checks will be conducted.
The Artemis II mission involved a flight around the Moon and served as one of the preparatory steps for future crewed flights under NASA’s lunar program.
