The Artemis II mission has concluded with its four-person crew safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, marking the end of a nearly 10-day journey that took them around the Moon and farther from Earth than any humans before them.
The astronauts emerged from the Orion capsule roughly 90 minutes after splashdown, located off the coast of San Diego. Initial reports indicate the crew is "feeling great." Following their emergence, the astronauts proceeded to medical checks.
"Artemis II astronauts have officially left the capsule."
Personnel from NASA and the U.S. military were on site to manage the recovery operation, with the USS John P. Murtha serving as the primary recovery vessel. Divers entered the Orion capsule to assess the crew before their exit.
The mission, which included a lunar flyby and a transit through an eclipse, represents a significant step in NASA's Artemis program. The crew, comprising NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is expected to provide valuable data from their journey.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman met with the crew on the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha following their return. At a post-splashdown press conference, Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya attributed the mission's success to the dedicated efforts of approximately 1,000 individuals, emphasizing that it was "not luck." He also acknowledged the mixed emotions of relief and anxiety experienced by the astronauts' families during their absence.
The Orion spacecraft's crew and service module had separated prior to re-entry. NASA had reestablished communications with the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft as it returned to Earth. Visual confirmation of the Orion capsule was reported by multiple helicopters in the splashdown area.
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The return to Earth, concluding Flight Day 10 of the mission, brings an end to a historic lunar expedition.
