After a 10-day journey around the Moon, the crew of Artemis II is set to return to Earth, with a splashdown scheduled for 5:07 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, as the world’s attention turns to California.
The landing will take place in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, according to NASA.
The mission marks a major step in human spaceflight as the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, capturing global attention and renewed excitement. It tested critical systems aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS), paving the way for future Moon landings under the Artemis program.
The mission marks a major step in human spaceflight as the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, capturing global attention and renewed excitement.
Where to Watch Artemis II Return To the Earth
NASA will begin the live coverage of the crew’s return at 3:30 p.m. PT, with the splashdown broadcast across multiple streaming platforms, including NASA+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix.
Final Approach and Re-entry
As Orion approaches Earth, the spacecraft underwent final trajectory adjustments to ensure a precise re-entry path.
It is expected to enter the atmosphere at approximately 4:53 p.m. PT, traveling at nearly 25,000 miles per hour. During re-entry, temperatures around the spacecraft will reach nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
A series of parachutes will deploy to slow Orion before its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke recorded a message for the Artemis II crew as they approached the Moon, “On the Moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we and America and all of the world are cheering you on.”
“On the Moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we and America and all of the world are cheering you on.”
Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke recorded a message for the Artemis II crew. Fitting that they hear his words as they close in on their lunar destination. pic.twitter.com/FIWzOeC8nM
— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026
All eyes are on California as the spacecraft is expected to splash down about 13 minutes later in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
Splashdown Watch Party
Chabot Space & Science Center is hosting a public watch event, with free entry, offering a shared viewing experience for the splashdown. It will extend its hours until 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the splashdown, which is projected to occur at 5:07 p.m. PT.
Artemis II Crew
The four-member crew of Artemis II comprises both experience and international cooperation, with Reid Wiseman serving as commander, Victor Glover as pilot, with Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists. During the mission, the astronauts conducted system checks, captured imagery, and observed a solar eclipse from space.
Glover is an alumnus of California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo.
The mission made history at 10:56 a.m. PT on Monday, April 6, when the crew reached 248,655 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
On the shoulders of giants… 🧑🏼🚀
The Artemis II crew aboard Integrity have officially traveled farther into space than any humans before, passing the record set during Apollo. Our live coverage continues:https://t.co/do2p0Gvxdu
— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026
Artemis II Lunar Mission
Artemis II serves as a bridge between testing missions and future lunar landings. Building on the success of Artemis I in 2022, it demonstrated that Orion can safely carry humans into deep space and back.
The mission also validated life support systems, navigation, and manual flight operations, all essential for Artemis III, which aims to return humans to the Moon later this decade.
FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO ORBIT.
President Donald J. Trump speaks with the Artemis II astronauts leading America back to the Moon. 🇺🇸 To infinity… and beyond. 🌕🚀 pic.twitter.com/KViZ7dKEWy
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 7, 2026
Historic Journey Beyond Earth Orbit
Launched on April 1, Artemis II became the first crewed mission to leave Earth’s orbit since the Apollo era. The spacecraft completed a lunar flyby around the Moon’s far side before heading home, reaching more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth.
The crew completed a lunar flyby, looping around the Moon’s far side before heading back. At its farthest point, Orion traveled more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth, offering a rare deep-space view.
As the crew makes its final descent, Artemis II marks a defining moment in modern space exploration, bringing humanity closer to a sustained presence on the Moon and future missions to Mars.
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