'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.

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Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

Artemis II crew arrives back to Houston after the dramatic Pacific splashdown

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.

Apr 04, 2026 3:07 PM

Orion passes midpoint as Artemis II enters Flight Day 4

Overnight, the Orion spacecraft moved closer to the moon than to Earth, with just over 119,000 miles still to go.

PHOTO: This handout picture by an Artemis II crew member provided by NASA shows Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen peering out the window of the Orion spacecraft on April 3, 2026.

NASA via AFP via Getty Images

This handout picture by an Artemis II crew member provided by NASA shows Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen peering out the window of the Orion spacecraft on April 3, 2026.

NASA via AFP via Getty Images

According to NASA, after the first outbound trajectory correction burn was canceled, the crew prepared the cabin for the upcoming lunar observation period and tested Orion’s emergency communications system.

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

The crew remains asleep now, with a scheduled wake-up around 11:35 a.m. CDT/ 12:35 p.m. EDT to begin Flight Day 4.

-ABC News’ Briana Alvarado

Apr 04, 2026 2:23 AM

Artemis II nearly halfway to the moon

The Artemis II crew is nearly halfway to the moon on Day 3 of the historic mission, NASA said in an update Friday evening.

The crew aboard the Orion spacecraft will take a 685,000-mile journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by, during which they will conduct scientific observations of the moon's surface, NASA said.

PHOTO: A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four main windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.

Reid Wiseman/NASA

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four main windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.

Reid Wiseman/NASA

Apr 03, 2026 9:16 PM

NASA gives preview of upcoming lunar flyby

During Friday's press conference, NASA leaders gave a preview of the Artemis II crew's upcoming lunar flyby.

On Saturday, the crew will take a selfie of the spacecraft and test some thruster flight modes on Orion.

On Monday, during the six-hour lunar observation period when the crew is on the far side of the moon, the astronauts will be at their closest approach to the lunar surface.

NASA

NASA astronaut Christina Koch participates in the daily planning conference in Orion spacecraft as it heads to the moon, April 3, 2026.

NASA

They will be making visual observations as well as photographs and video. The observation period will begin at around 2:30 p.m. ET, NASA said.

The blackout period, when the crew is behind the moon and loses communications with Mission Control, is expected to last about 40 minutes.

When asked if there is reason to worry about the astronauts when they are behind the moon and out of contact with Earth, Judd Frieling, Artemis flight director, said, "Physics takes over and physics will absolutely get us back to the front side of the moon."

-ABC News' Matthew Glasser

Apr 03, 2026 9:19 PM

NASA says Artemis II crew 'really excited about this opportunity’

During a press conference on Friday, NASA leaders said the Artemis II crew is in "great spirits" and "really excited about the opportunity to be there and what's going on."

Orion's navigation and propulsion systems are performing so well that thew crew will not perform the planned trajectory burn scheduled for this evening, NASA said.

NASA

CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen participates in the daily planning conference in Orion spacecraft as it heads to the moon, April 3, 2026.

NASA

"I think it's really good to see that we don't need these minor correction burns. It shows that our navigation performance and our ability to get ranging has been outstanding," Howard Hu, program manager for the Orion spacecraft, said

On Friday, the astronauts spent some time conducting a "noise characterization" assessment of the toilet's noise levels.

The crew also had time to exercise and did a CPR demonstration. NASA said the astronauts are conducting a medical kit evaluation and will test emergency communications with the Deep Space Network.

-ABC News' Matthew Glasser

Apr 02, 2026 9:54 PM

Get to know Christina Koch, the 1st female astronaut to travel around the moon

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is making history as the first woman to travel around the moon.

Koch, 47, is among the four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft for NASA's Artemis II mission, which lifted off Wednesday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a 10-day journey.

PHOTO: Astronaut Christina Koch leaves the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip to Launch Pad 39-B and a planned liftoff on NASA's Artemis II moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center, on April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Chris O'Meara/AP

Astronaut Christina Koch smiles as she talks to family members as she leaves the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip to Launch Pad 39-B and a planned liftoff on NASA's Artemis II moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center, on April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Chris O'Meara/AP

Koch, who was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is no stranger to record-setting NASA missions.

Koch was first selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013. In December 2019, she set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 consecutive days in space, according to NASA, and was part of the first all-female spacewalk in October 2019 with Jessica Meir.