During the April 6 lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew documented a solar eclipse from Orion’s perspective.
The Artemis II crew reported meteoroid impact flashes on the night side of the Moon.
Artemis II carried four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
Artemis II was a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
Orion reached a peak reentry velocity of 39,692 kph (24,664 mph) during Artemis II.
Artemis II captured images of previously unexplored regions on the Moon’s far side.
The Artemis II splashdown timeline placed drogue parachute deployment at 8:03 p.m. EDT.
Artemis II is targeted to splash down off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Orion completed a 694,481-mile journey during the Artemis II crew’s return to Earth.
Artemis II collected data and images during its return from lunar orbit.
NASA is using Artemis II data to better understand the Moon’s geology and origins and to address scientific questions about Earth’s evolution.
The Artemis II crew will undergo post-mission medical evaluations aboard the USS John P. Murtha before returning to shore.
Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 8:07:20 p.m. EDT.
No humans had viewed the Moon in the way Artemis II’s four astronauts did since Apollo 17 in 1972.
During its lunar flyby, Artemis II took thousands of images, measurements, and audio descriptions of the Moon’s surface.
Artemis II will complete its return with a controlled atmospheric reentry and splashdown.
The Orion thruster burn pushed Artemis II toward Earth.
Artemis II’s return phase is used to validate the crewed transport system’s capabilities.
The European Service Module provided power, thermal control, and life support systems for Artemis II’s four-person crew.
The Artemis II splashdown timeline placed main parachute deployment at 8:04 p.m. EDT.