'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 10, 2026 7:17 PM

Artemis II commander shouts out Orion global effort

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman gave a shoutout to teams around the world for their role in creating the Orion spacecraft.

"We just want to give a huge shoutout to that ESA [European Space Agency] Airbus team, to our friends in the Netherlands and Germany and at the Glenn Research Center," Wiseman said. "This vehicle powered us and propelled us from the Earth to the moon and back with extreme precision, and we are excited to be a part of your team."

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 10, 2026 7:16 PM

Final trajectory correction burn completed

Orion completed its final return correction burn successfully at 2:53 p.m. ET.

This burn ensures the spacecraft maintains the proper trajectory back to Earth.

The crew and service module will separate and reveal the Orion heat shield at 7:33 p.m. ET.

PHOTO: Artemis II astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover sit at the controls of the Orion spacecraft as it travels to Earth ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, April 10, 2026.

NASA

Artemis II astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover sit at the controls of the Orion spacecraft as it travels to Earth ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, April 10, 2026.

NASA

-ABC News' Matthew Glasser

Apr 10, 2026 8:41 PM

Weather criteria required for splashdown

Splashdown remains tentatively scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, likely within 100 miles of the San Diego coast, according to NASA. However, the exact timing could still change depending on various conditions.

Weather-wise, it's still looking like a go with no big changes to the forecast at this time. The criteria required for splashdown are expected to be met off the coast of San Diego. Rain should remain well to the north of the region, and clouds shouldn't exceed the safety threshold.

PHOTO: View of the USS John P. Murtha flight deck is seen from the air boss tower ahead of the return of the Artemis II crewmembers to Earth, April 9, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

Bill Ingalls/NASA

View of the USS John P. Murtha flight deck is seen from the air boss tower ahead of the return of the Artemis II crewmembers to Earth, April 9, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

Bill Ingalls/NASA

While conditions continue to look favorable, weather and ocean conditions will remain closely monitored right up to retry to determine if any small trajectory shifts are required to ensure the Orion spacecraft arrives home in the most favorable conditions possible.

Weather criteria needed for a nominal splashdown and recovery, according to NASA, are:

-Significant wave height must be less than six feet
-No precipitation or lightning within 35 miles
-Winds under 28 mph
-Good visibility and minimal cloud cover below a certain height

NASA

Artemis II splashdown corridor off the coast of California.

NASA

-ABC News' Daniel Peck

Apr 10, 2026 5:42 PM

Why the crew will lose communication with mission control during reentry

NASA

The Orion spacecraft is pictured from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings, April 7, 2026.

NASA

When the Artemis II crew begins reentry into Earth's atmosphere, the world will need to wait about six minutes for that proof -- the length of time that Mission Control will lose communication with the astronauts.

Unlike the 40-minute loss of communications experienced when the Orion crew module passed behind the moon, which physically blocked radio signals from reaching the spacecraft, loss of communication during reentry results from Orion's passage through Earth's atmosphere.

'Moon Joy': NASA releases new photos of Artemis II crew

Newly released photos from NASA capture the joy of the Artemis II crew after they looped around the far side of the moon

In one photo, entitled "Moon Joy," Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover take time for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on April 7 as they head home.

PHOTO: The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 on their way home following a trip around the far side of the Moon.

NASA

The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 on their way home following a trip around the far side of the Moon.

NASA

Also seen in the photos is the plushie, "Rise," designed by a second grader who won a contest for his toy to travel with the astronauts.

At just under 200,000 miles from Earth, the Artemis II crew is closing in on the final destination of its cosmic ride.

PHOTO: The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator "Rise," inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 following a trip around the far side of the Moon.

NASA

The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator "Rise," inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 on their way home following a trip around the far side of the Moon.

NASA

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado