Space4 min(s) read
Published 09:20 11 Apr 2026 GMT
After ten days in space and a historic revolution around the moon, Artemis II made a splashdown off the coast of San Diego at about 8:07PM on Friday (April 10).
Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen completed a journey that took them farther from Earth than any humans in history.
They surpassed the Apollo 13 record from 1970 by more than 4,000 miles and became the first humans to see parts of the moon’s far side with the naked eye.
The mission also led to the naming of two new lunar areas, one after the capsule Integrity and another in memory of Commander Wiseman’s late wife.
Before returning home, the crew shared emotional messages with their families.
"I don’t think they knew what this mission really meant when we launched, but they have learned through the outpouring of public support, their friends’ support, and family’s support," Wiseman said, per The New York Post. "Really, the world has come together. We have seen it, and we have seen it through their eyes too."
Hansen spoke about how he learns more from his children than they learn from him, adding: "But the one thing I would remind you, and I think is worth reminding ourselves and other youth is that all you have to do on any given day is just get up and do your best and try to find joy in your day and try to contribute in a meaningful and positive way."
Koch, the only woman on the 10-day lunar flyby, expressed gratitude to her nine nieces and nephews for the letters they wrote and pictures they drew.
"You had beautiful earths and rockets, and they truly touched my mission, and I feel like you’re here with me," she said.
Pilot Glover opened up about about how he and his wife are looking forward to supporting their four kids. "We spent years coaching you, but we are very much in that transition to being cheerleaders and just rooting for you in life," he said.
He also addressed the next generation of space explorers, saying: "And to the future citizens out there, the same sentiment applies... I hope this mission is giving you something that you can take and put in your pocket, or in your heart and mind that you keep with you, but it’s not because we want you to see what we’ve tried to show you. It’s because we want you to take this and build a vocabulary to explain the world to us."
As their Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, reentered Earth’s atmosphere, its heat shield was subjected to temperatures half as hot as those found on the surface of the Sun, leading to a tense six-minute blackout in communications with mission control.
Relief came when Commander Wiseman broke the silence, saying: "Houston, Integrity here. We hear you loud and clear," per BBC News.
Moments later, parachutes deployed successfully as NASA commentary confirmed: "Good main chutes!" before the capsule descended toward the Pacific.
"A perfect bull's eye splashdown for Integrity and its four astronauts," NASA commentator Rob Navias said moments after the landing.
Following the splashdown, Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen were carefully extracted and transported by helicopter to the USS John P Murtha.
The astronauts were seen smiling and talking to each other on deck as they began recovery operations and medical evaluations, with plans to fly them to Houston on Saturday to reunite with their families.
Shortly after the crew’s return, President Donald Trump shared his reaction. "Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II," he wrote on Truth Social. "The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect, and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud!
"I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!" he added.
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