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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 5, 2026, 9:53 AM

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 05, 2026 9:53 AM

Artemis II crew conducts Orion control tests, NASA says

Overnight, the Artemis II crew wrapped up a busy stretch of work in deep space, including a hands-on test of Orion's controls and more prep for Monday's lunar flyby.

According to NASA, the crew began a manual piloting demonstration at 9:09 p.m. ET, with mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen taking turns flying the spacecraft.

For about 41 minutes, they tested how Orion responds in different thruster modes to see how it handles both full, free movement and more limited steering. The goal is to give engineers a better sense of how the spacecraft performs when astronauts are actively flying it, NASA said.

NASA said the test is part of a series of evaluations, with commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover expected to run a similar demonstration later in the mission -- on April 9 -- to give teams on the ground more data from different pilots.

Earlier in the day, the crew also spent time going over their plan for the lunar flyby. According to NASA, they reviewed a list of specific features on the moon's surface that scientists want them to photograph and describe.

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A post shared by NASA (@nasa)

That work will come into play on Monday, when Orion begins its flyby at 2:45 p.m. ET.

All of this is setting the stage for one of the most anticipated parts of the mission: when astronauts will see the moon up close and help document it in real time for scientists back on Earth.

The crew shared a new photo of the moon during day 4 of their mission, capturing parts of the lunar far side including Orientale basin peeking through from the right side of the lunar disk.

"This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes," NASA said in an Instagram post.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado


Apr 04, 2026 11:42 PM

NASA looking into 'minor smell' on Orion reported by crew

NASA leaders addressed a minor smell reported by the crew Saturday morning, prompting checks by the flight team.

"So we did actually look at our power data, our heater data," Orion deputy program manager, Debbie Korth said in a news conference. "Nothing looks anomalous."

PHOTO: Artemis II controllers monitor the progress of the Orion spacecraft in the White Flight Control Room at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2026.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Artemis II controllers monitor the progress of the Orion spacecraft in the White Flight Control Room at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2026.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images


She also added that a similar smell was reported on the ground, which could possibly point to a mechanical source.

“The teams are, looking at some data we have on the ground with that same similar type smell had been reported and think it might be more mechanical in nature, some tapes and some other materials that might be off casting, but really early in that investigation, so don't think there's any hazardous condition,” Korth said.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado


Apr 04, 2026 11:50 PM

Crew will get view of the moon never before seen by humans, NASA says

NASA leaders confirmed Monday's lunar flyby will allow the crew to see parts of the moon humans have never seen before.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate lead Kelsey Young explained Saturday that parts of the lunar far side remain unfamiliar to human eyes because the Apollo missions were planned to launch when the near side was illuminated.

PHOTO: This handout picture provided by NASA shows the Moon taken by an Artemis II crewmember through the window of the Orion spacecraft on April 3, 2026.
NASA via AFP via Getty Images
This handout picture provided by NASA shows the Moon taken by an Artemis II crewmember through the window of the Orion spacecraft on April 3, 2026.
NASA via AFP via Getty Images

"So as they get closer, they'll be able to see features that human eyes have never before seen," Young at a news conference.

NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) Program John Honeycutt noted that even regions just imaged by robotic spacecraft are now visible to humans, referring to a photo taken from Orion on Friday.

The crew will also witness a solar eclipse during the mission lasting about 53 minutes, occurring an hour after Earthrise. 

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado



Apr 04, 2026 8:18 PM

NASA releases new 'selfie' of Orion capsule, prepares for Day 4

NASA released a brand-new high-resolution "selfie" of Orion in space.

PHOTO: Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission.
NASA
Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission.
NASA

The space agency says the image was taken with a camera mounted on one of the spacecraft’s solar array wings during a routine inspection on the second day of the Artemis II mission.

The Artemis crew has several items on their agenda for the fourth day of their mission.

PHOTO: This artist’s concept depicts the nominal trajectory for NASA’s Artemis II test flight, an approximately 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
Goddard/JSC/NASA
This artist’s concept depicts the nominal trajectory for NASA’s Artemis II test flight, an approximately 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
Goddard/JSC/NASA


At 9:10 p.m. ET, the space agency says Victor Glover will take manual control of Orion for a scheduled deep‑space handling test to see how the spacecraft responds to different maneuvers far from Earth.

In addition, NASA flight controllers have scheduled a 24‑hour acoustics test to help engineers better understand sound levels inside Orion’s cabin.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado


Apr 02, 2026 9:58 PM

Breaking down Artemis II moon mission terms, jargon and what they mean

Following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use specific jargon and phrases.

Here are explanations of some of the terminology people may hear over the course of the mission:

Translunar injection burn

The translunar injection burn is the final step that sends the crew on the path to the moon, committing the Orion spacecraft to the remainder of its 10-day mission.

Lasting just minutes, it's a single-engine firing that propels the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and on a "free-return trajectory."

PHOTO: NASA launched a new space toilet, the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS).
NASA
NASA launched a new space toilet, the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 14th contract resupply mission in September. Another UWMS unit will be installed in Orion for the Artemis II flight test that will send astronauts on a 10-day mission beyond the Moon and back.
NASA

Universal waste management system

The universal waste management system, otherwise known as a space toilet, is located inside a stall just like in a public restroom on Earth, according to NASA.

Space toilets use air flow to pull urine and feces away and into receptacles, which are stored for disposal. The astronauts have a handlebar to hold themselves down while using the toilet in the absence of gravity.

Read more here about the terms and jargon you may come across during the Artemis II mission.


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