'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 07, 2026 1:37 AM

'Absolutely spectacular, surreal': Astronauts describe solar eclipse

The Artemis II astronauts sent back descriptions of the total solar eclipse they viewed from space to NASA's Mission Control.

"It’s truly hard to describe. It is amazing," pilot Victor Glover said.

Glover said that the Orion spacecraft was made as dark as possible due to every bit of light in the cabin affecting the view.

"It’s a wicked view," he said of the darkened moon with deep space behind it.

"It’s indescribable," commander Reid Wiseman added. "No matter how long we look at this our brains are not processing this image in front of us. It is absolutely spectacular, surreal, there’s no adjectives. I’m gonna need to invent some new ones to describe what we’re looking at right now."

Apr 07, 2026 1:00 AM

Artemis II crew enters total solar eclipse

The Artemis II crew have entered a total solar eclipse from space as Orion, the moon and the Sun have aligned.

The astronauts will see a mostly darkened moon and analyze the solar corona, which is the Sun’s outermost atmosphere, as it appears around the edge of the moon, according to NASA.

NASA

The Orion spacecraft is illuminated by the sun as it begins its journey back to Earth, April 6, 2026.

NASA

The suns corona is seen behind the moon during a solar eclipse seen from the Orion spacecraft, April 6, 2026.

NASA

The total solar eclipse will last for about an hour. The four astronauts are also the first humans to view a total solar eclipse from space.

Apr 07, 2026 12:28 AM

Artemis II pilot's daughter goes viral celebrating dad's moon mission

The daughter of NASA astronaut and Artemis II moon mission pilot Victor Glover has gone viral for celebrating her dad's role in the historic lunar flyby.

In a video posted Sunday on TikTok and Instagram, Maya Glover is seen unzipping a hooded sweatshirt to reveal a T-shirt printed with an image of her father. She then steps back from the camera, dancing before playfully losing track of the moves.

Courtesy of Maya L. Glover

Maya L. Glover shared a viral video celebrating her dad, NASA astronaut Victor Glover, piloting Artemis II halfway to the moon.

Courtesy of Maya L. Glover

"When your dad successfully pilots Artemis II halfway to the moon… & you forget the dance," she wrote over the clip, set to Korn's "Freak on a Leash."

'We will always choose Earth,' Artemis II astronaut says

After contact was regained with the Orion spacecraft, mission specialist Christina Koch shared a message with NASA’s Mission Control on behalf of the crew.

"We will explore, we will build, we will build ships, we will visit again," Koch said. "We will construct science outposts, we will drive rovers, we will do radio astronomy, we will found companies, we will bolster industry we will inspire, but -- ultimately -- we will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other."

NASA

NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch, seen here on the fourth day of the mission, prepping for lunar flyby activities after completing aerobic exercise on the flywheel device, April 5, 2026.

NASA

The crew is on its observation break, which will last about an hour, according to Mission Control.

Apr 01, 2026 8:53 PM