Artemis II astronauts return home after historic Moon Mission, ushering in new era of exploration

NASA’s Artemis II crew has safely returned to Earth after completing the most distant human spaceflight in more than five decades. The Orion spacecraft splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT on April 10, 2026, off the coast of San Diego, marking the successful end of a nearly 10-day mission around the Moon.

The crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, travelled more than 694,000 miles in total, reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth. Their lunar flyby brought them farther into deep space than any humans since Apollo 13 in 1970.

The mission is being hailed as a landmark step in NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface and eventually send astronauts to Mars.

From splashdown to science: mission paves way for future Moon landings

Following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the astronauts were recovered by a joint NASA and U.S. military team before being transported to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks. They are expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA officials described the mission as a critical test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, both of which performed successfully throughout the journey. The crew validated life-support systems, manual piloting capabilities, and deep-space operational procedures while orbiting and flying past the Moon.

During the mission, the astronauts also conducted scientific experiments, including human health studies and radiation exposure research, while capturing more than 7,000 images of the lunar surface. These included rare views of Earthrise, lunar craters, and solar eclipse phenomena from deep space.

NASA says the data gathered will directly support upcoming missions, including Artemis III, which is expected to attempt a lunar landing. Officials say the success of Artemis II strengthens plans for a sustained human presence on the Moon and future exploration of Mars.

With Artemis II complete, NASA has now shifted focus to preparing the next phase of its lunar programme, marking what officials describe as a “new era of exploration” driven by international collaboration and advanced space technology.