After traveling hundreds of thousands of miles through space, the crew of Artemis II has safely returned to Earth. The Orion spacecraft re-entered the planet’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep-space exploration.
On board were four astronauts representing a new generation of lunar exploration: Reid Wiseman, mission commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. Together they completed a historic journey around the Moon and back, paving the way for future missions that aim to land humans on the lunar surface once again.
Captured in remarkable footage shared by NASA, the moment of re-entry and splashdown shows the dramatic return of the capsule as it descends through Earth’s atmosphere before touching down in the Pacific. The event marks not only the successful conclusion of the mission but also a crucial step toward the next phase of the Artemis program.
Watch the full video below to witness the dramatic return of Orion and the astronauts who are helping lead humanity back to the Moon.