Artemis 2 Landing: NASA Astronauts Return to Earth

NASA’s Artemis II mission is concluding its journey around the Moon with the return of four astronauts to Earth on April 10, 2026. This mission marks the first time in over 53 years that humans have returned from the lunar vicinity, serving as a critical test of the Orion spacecraft’s systems before future crewed lunar landings.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission’s final phase involves a high-velocity reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Reentry Technical Specifications and Timeline

The reentry process is the most technically demanding portion of the return journey. The Orion capsule is expected to hit the top of Earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of 400,000 feet, traveling at approximately 30 times the speed of sound, or roughly 24,000 mph (38,600 kph).

This descent subjects the spacecraft to extreme thermal stress, with temperatures reaching up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). The crew relies on the spacecraft’s heat shield for protection during this 13-minute plunge.

The timeline for the return on April 10, 2026, is as follows:

• 11:35 a.m. ET: Crew wake-up
• 7:53 p.m. ET: Expected start of reentry into the atmosphere
• 8:07 p.m. ET: Expected splashdown off the coast of San Diego

During the reentry phase, the astronauts will experience a period of radio blackout, which is expected to last for six minutes.

Recovery Operations and Safety

The USS John P. Murtha Navy recovery vessel is stationed in the Pacific Ocean to assist the crew. The vessel’s primary roles are to remove the astronauts from the Orion capsule and conduct immediate medical evaluations.

The splashdown is scheduled to occur hundreds of miles off the coast of San Diego. Due to the potential for debris, such as parachutes releasing from the Orion capsule, the U.S. Navy has established an exclusion zone in the area.

I would caution folks, you know, please avoid the area, There’s a lot of debris that comes down, and we work with our recovery forces in order to ensure that it doesn’t hit them. But, of course, we don’t want it to hit any anyone else.

Jeff Radigan, Flight Director

System Validation and Mission Significance

Artemis II serves as the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft. The mission has been used to validate essential deep-space technologies, including life support, navigation, propulsion, and communications systems over a nine-day period.

The success of the reentry and recovery phase is the final requirement for the mission’s overall validation. NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya stated on April 9, 2026, that the agency has high confidence in the system, in the heat shield, and the parachutes and the recovery system developed for the mission.

Upon the safe return of the four crew members, the total number of humans to have traveled to the moon and returned safely to Earth will increase to 28.