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'Welcome home, Artemis': Crew celebrates historic 10-day moon mission

PHOTO: (L-R) NASA's Artemis II mission astronauts Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover and commander Reid Wiseman attend a welcoming ceremony in Houston, Texas, on April 11, 2026.
3:01
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Artemis II crew arrives back to Houston after the dramatic Pacific splashdown
By Mary Kekatos, Julia Jacobo, Leah Sarnoff, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: April 7, 2026, 6:21 PM

NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The four-person crew completed a 695,081-mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.

A "textbook" splashdown took place at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, April 10.

Key Headlines

  • Crew makes 1st appearance since return from historic mission
  • 'Welcome home, Artemis': Jubilant and emotional, crew speaks out on historic moon mission
  • Trump says he will welcome Artemis II crew to White House 'soon'
  • NASA officials hail 'new era' of space exploration after successful mission
  • Crew members hoisted into helicopters
  • All 4 crew members out of the capsule
Here's how the news is developing.

Apr 07, 2026 6:21 PM

NASA shares more photos of far side of the moon

NASA has shared additional photos of the far side of the moon taken during the Artemis II crew's historic lunar flyby on Monday.

One image shows a close-up view of Vavilov Crater, an impact crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung impact basin, none of which can be seen from Earth.

PHOTO: A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin, April 6, 2026.
NASA
A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin, April 6, 2026.
NASA

Another image shows the Orientale basin in the center with a black patch of ancient lava that punched through the moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago. It is located on the western border between the near and far side of the moon and is hard to see from Earth.

PHOTO: Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago, in this view of the Moon, taken by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026.
NASA
Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago, in this view of the Moon, taken by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026.
NASA

A third image captures the lunar surface in sharp detail while a distant Earth hovers in the background.

PHOTO: The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background, April 6, 2026.
NASA
The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background, April 6, 2026.
NASA

Also captured by the Artemis II crew is the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin, an impact crater on the far side of the moon.

The basin is seen with the shadowed terminator -- the boundary between lunar day and night -- at the top of the image.

PHOTO: Captured by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night at the top of the image.
NASA
Captured by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night at the top of the image.
NASA

Apr 07, 2026 2:24 PM

Artemis II crew dons eclipse glasses in space

NASA released a photo of the Artemis II crew donning eclipse glasses ahead of the solar eclipse.

The image shows (from far left) Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover protecting their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced on Monday.

PHOTO: art002e009302
NASA
The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover use eclipse viewers to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby, April 6, 2026.
NASA

Apr 07, 2026 2:03 PM

Artemis II crew captures total solar eclipse in space

NASA has shared a photo of the moon fully eclipsing the sun, taken aboard the Orion spacecraft.

The image shows a mostly darkened moon with the solar corona, which is the Sun's outermost atmosphere, glowing around the moon's edge.

PHOTO: The sun's corona glow is seen around the moon's edge during a solar eclipse photographed by the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, April 6, 2026.
NASA
The sun's corona glow is seen around the moon's edge during a solar eclipse photographed by the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, April 6, 2026.
NASA

The Artemis II astronauts are the first humans to have witnessed a total solar eclipse in space.

The solar eclipse lasted for about an hour, according to NASA.



Apr 07, 2026 1:35 PM

NASA shares 1st images of Artemis II lunar flyby, including Earthset

NASA has shared the first photos from the Artemis II crew's historic lunar flyby, including a stunning image of Earth.

The photo shows the crew's view of an Earthset as the planet disappears beyond the lunar horizon and the astronauts make their way to the far side of the moon.

PHOTO: First photo from the far side of the moon captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon, April 6, 2026.
NASA
First photo from the far side of the moon captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon, April 6, 2026.
NASA

The photo bears a striking resemblance to "Earthrise," a photo taken in 1968 from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 mission, which was the first crewed mission to reach the moon.

PHOTO: The Earth rises above the moon in a picture known as Earthrise taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968.
William Anders/NASA
The Earth rises above the moon in a picture known as Earthrise taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968.
William Anders/NASA

Apr 02, 2026 8:56 PM

A look at the stages of the Artemis II journey

After a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening, the Artemis II crew of four is headed to the moon on a 10-day journey.

How does a nearly 6 million-pound rocket and crew module make that journey possible? It’s all about physics.

Read more here to learn about the stages from liftoff to Earth orbit to the trans-lunar injection burn and, finally, the journey home.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado


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