The crew of Artemis II has safely returned to Earth following a historic journey around the Moon, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration.
Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen safely exited the Orion spacecraft Integrity after a textbook splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10, 2026.
The nearly 10-day mission took the astronauts farther into space than humans have travelled in decades, as they completed a lunar flyby designed to test critical systems ahead of future crewed lunar landings.
Following recovery operations, the astronauts were transported to the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha, where they were seen smiling and waving after their successful return to Earth.
Christina Koch became the first astronaut to exit the spacecraft, followed by Victor Glover Jr., Jeremy Hansen, and Commander Reid Wiseman, who emerged last from the Orion capsule.
The successful return of the Artemis II crew marks a major step forward for NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually pave the way for future missions to Mars.
The splashdown and recovery capped a landmark mission that not only tested deep-space capabilities but also renewed global excitement about humanity’s next era of lunar exploration.