Artemis II Crew Splashes Down Safely in Pacific Ocean After Historic Lunar Flyby

NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, completing a 10-day mission that sent four astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. NASA officials called the landing "perfect."

Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen returned safely after a mission that captured global attention.

The crew photographed a solar eclipse from near the moon on April 6, the first time humans had witnessed such an event from that vantage point. NASA's chief described the images as "absolutely stunning."

The mission reached its greatest distance from Earth during the lunar flyby, with the crew traveling farther from home than any humans since the Apollo program ended in 1972.

Before passing behind the moon and losing radio contact, Glover sent a message of love to people watching from Earth. The crew entered a period of radio silence as the spacecraft passed through the lunar shadow.

The Artemis II mission used NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. It was designed to test the systems and procedures that will be used for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface, including the first woman and first person of color to walk on the moon.

SpaceX, which is developing the lunar lander for Artemis III, filed a confidential IPO during the mission period, with analysts estimating a potential valuation above $1 trillion.

NASA said the data collected during Artemis II will be analyzed over the coming months to prepare for the next phase of the program.