Artemis II Crew Safely Splashes Down Off San Diego Coast

Four astronauts safely returned to Earth on April 10, 2026, after completing a historic 10-day mission around the moon. The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 5:07 p.m. PDT.

The return involved a high-velocity reentry where the capsule entered the atmosphere at more than 32 times the speed of sound. This process created a fireball with temperatures approximately half as hot as the surface of the sun. NASA officials confirmed that the capsule’s heat shield successfully withstood these temperatures, a critical achievement given that the heat shield had sustained unexpected damage during a previous mission.

During the descent, the Orion spacecraft shed its service module and dived toward Earth at speeds between 24,000 and 25,000 miles per hour. To slow the craft for a safe landing, a series of 11 parachutes unfurled starting at an altitude of 12,000 feet. This sequence reduced the capsule’s speed from several hundred miles per hour to a final splashdown velocity of 17 to 20 mph.

Mission Milestones and Records

The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026. Over the course of the 10-day voyage, the crew traveled a total distance of 252,756 miles, breaking the previous record for human distance from Earth held by the Apollo 13 mission.

The crew, who dubbed their spacecraft Integrity, consisted of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. The mission was a flyby designed to test propulsion, navigation, and life-support systems in deep space without landing on the lunar surface.

This flight marked the first time humans traveled beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years. NASA officials stated that the mission serves as a foundational step for planned lunar landings in 2028 and future exploration of Mars.

Recovery Operations

The U.S. Navy coordinated the recovery of the crew from the Pacific Ocean. The USS John P. Murtha served as the recovery ship for the Orion spacecraft. Following the splashdown, Navy personnel extracted the four astronauts from the capsule and transported them individually via helicopters to the deck of the USS John P. Murtha.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, speaking from the deck of the recovery ship, expressed the significance of the return.

I’m still at a loss for words. The childhood Jared right now can’t believe what I just saw.

Jared Isaacman

Isaacman, who was born more than a decade after the final human moonwalk, added that we are back in the business of sending astronauts back to the moon. What we have is just the beginning.

Astronaut Reid Wiseman also commented on the experience shortly after the return, stating, What a journey.

Public Response and Next Steps

The return mission drew significant national attention. In New York City, the Empire State Building was illuminated in red, white, and blue to welcome the astronauts home, while multiple Major League Baseball stadiums broadcast footage of the splashdown on their scoreboards.

Following their recovery from the ocean, the crew is scheduled to travel to Mission Control in Houston for further processing and debriefing.