'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 06, 2026 1:26 PM

Key milestones expected during lunar flyby

On Monday afternoon, the Artemis II crew is expected to surpass the distance record set during Apollo 13, traveling farther from Earth than any humans before them.

Later that evening, Orion will reach its maximum distance of 252,760 miles away, 4,105 miles farther than Apollo 13.

NASA has released a timeline of key moments during the flyby, as the world watches this next chapter of human spaceflight unfold.

NASA

NASA has released a timeline of key moments during the lunar flyby, as the world watches this next chapter of human spaceflight unfold.

NASA

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 06, 2026 1:39 PM

Orion holding 'pinpoint trajectory' toward moon, NASA says

The Artemis II mission is now less than a day away from entering the pivotal lunar flyby part of the journey.

After days of travel, NASA leaders provided an update on Artemis II’s progress, along with new insight into what astronauts will be observing on the moon and beyond during Monday’s lunar flyby.

According to NASA flight director Rick Henfling, Orion is on an exceptionally precise trajectory toward the moon, which led to the cancellation of its first two planned course-correction burns.

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

“We found that Orion was on such a pinpoint trajectory that we didn't need to do the first two correction maneuvers,” Henfling said during Sunday’s news conference.

A third adjustment is still scheduled for Sunday at 11:03 p.m. ET. It is expected to be a brief, 14-second firing designed to keep the spacecraft perfectly aligned ahead of the flyby.

Just hours later, around 12:40 a.m. ET Monday, Orion will officially cross over into the lunar sphere of influence. This is the point where the moon’s gravity takes over from Earth’s. From there, the crew will begin a carefully choreographed sequence of observations as they pass by the lunar surface.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 05, 2026 8:52 PM

Artemis II astronauts practice donning, removing space suits

Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover Jr., Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are now donning their Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) suits and beginning their operational demo.

The crew will practicing donning and removing the suits quickly in the event of a depressurization emergency within the spacecraft.

PHOTO: Crewmembers are shown on the Artemis II mission on flight day 3.

NASA

Crewmembers Christina Koch, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Reid Wiseman, commander; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; are shown on the Artemis II mission on flight day 3.

NASA

The demo affords an opportunity to see the Artemis II crew wearing their spacesuits as they travel ever closer to the moon ahead of Monday's lunar flyby.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 05, 2026 5:38 PM

Artemis II crew awakened by CeeLo Green song 'Work'

The Artemis II mission officially entered its fifth and final day before the highly anticipated lunar flyby as the crew awoke Sunday to the CeeLo Green song "Work."

The astronauts also heard from Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, who once landed on the moon on a different kind of Orion — a lunar module bearing the same name.

"I'm glad to see a different kind of Orion helping return humans to the moon as America charts the course to the lunar surface," Duke said in his message to the four-person crew.

NASA

Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch gazing at Earth from Orion’s windows, a reminder of home as they travel toward the moon.

NASA

"Below you, on the moon, is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we in America and all of the world are cheering you on," Duke added. "Thanks to you and the whole team on the ground for building on our Apollo legacy with Artemis. Godspeed and safe travels home."

With the moon flyby just a day away, Sunday marks the final stretch of preparations before the big moment.

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

On Saturday, the crew received their full list of lunar targets, which includes 30 specific sites they’ll observe as they pass by the moon. During the observation period, the crew will go through a total of five shifts during what NASA is calling the lunar flyby sequence.

For the crew, the first four of those shifts are all about observing the lunar surface. This is when the windows will be pointing right at the moon. The astronauts will capture everything using their cameras and personal computers onboard the Orion crew module.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 01, 2026 9:39 PM

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says Artemis II mission 'critically important'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Artemis II moon mission is "critically important" a few hours ahead of the scheduled launch.

"This is a moment that brings the country together," Duffy told Gio Benitez on ABC News Live.

"The technology, the time, the effort that has gone into making today possible is so cool," he added.

Duffy said the U.S. is in a race against China to get to the moon's South Pole. Currently, Artemis III is planned for 2028, while China’s space program is gearing up for a moon landing by 2030.

"There was a time that the adage was, ‘He who controls the seas controls the world.' Now it is, 'He who will control space will control the world,'" Duffy said. “We have to win. This is critically important."