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ABC News

'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 8, 2026, 7:58 PM

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 08, 2026 7:58 PM

Weather for Artemis II splashdown looks mild, monitoring for rain

The weather for the Artemis II splashdown on Friday evening off the coast of San Diego looks mild, but will have to be monitored.

Artemis II recovery criteria require winds below 28.7 miles per hour, wave heights under 6 feet and no rain or lightning within 30 nautical miles of the splashdown site.

So far, the wave heights and wind meet the criteria, but there is a possibility of showers off the coast.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin


Apr 07, 2026 6:14 PM

Artemis II crew exits lunar sphere of influence

The Artemis II astronauts have exited the lunar sphere of influence, saying goodbye to the moon's gravitational pull, NASA's Mission Control said.

Flight day 7 is all about reflection for the Earth-bound crew of four as they prepare to meet with teams on the ground for a lunar flyby debrief.

During this meeting, the crew will be sharing observations of the moon and its features.

PHOTO: Midway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen pause to turn the camera around for a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft, April, 2026.
NASA
Midway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen pause to turn the camera around for a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft, April, 2026.
NASA


Tonight, at around 9:03 p.m. ET, the spacecraft will use its thrusters to fire the first of three trajectory correction burns, adjusting the spacecraft's path back home.

NASA says it is currently a "go" for splashdown on Friday, April 10. The crew is expected to touch down in the Pacific Ocean just after 8 p.m. ET Friday, concluding the approximately 695,081-mile journey around the moon and back to Earth.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado


Apr 07, 2026 6:14 PM

Artemis II crew recreates 'Full House' opening

The Artemis II crew put its own spin on the "Full House" opening credits, recreating the intro and calling it "Full Capsule."

The video features the opening theme to the TV show, "Everywhere You Look," introducing the crew along with clips of life inside the Orion spacecraft.

Also featured in the clip is "Rise," the plush toy designed by a second grader, who won a contest for his toy to go to space with the crew.



Apr 07, 2026 6:21 PM

NASA shares more photos of far side of the moon

NASA has shared additional photos of the far side of the moon taken during the Artemis II crew's historic lunar flyby on Monday.

One image shows a close-up view of Vavilov Crater, an impact crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung impact basin, none of which can be seen from Earth.

PHOTO: A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin, April 6, 2026.
NASA
A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin, April 6, 2026.
NASA

Another image shows the Orientale basin in the center with a black patch of ancient lava that punched through the moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago. It is located on the western border between the near and far side of the moon and is hard to see from Earth.

PHOTO: Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago, in this view of the Moon, taken by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026.
NASA
Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago, in this view of the Moon, taken by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026.
NASA

A third image captures the lunar surface in sharp detail while a distant Earth hovers in the background.

PHOTO: The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background, April 6, 2026.
NASA
The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background, April 6, 2026.
NASA

Also captured by the Artemis II crew is the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin, an impact crater on the far side of the moon.

The basin is seen with the shadowed terminator -- the boundary between lunar day and night -- at the top of the image.

PHOTO: Captured by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night at the top of the image.
NASA
Captured by the Artemis II crew, April 6, 2026, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night at the top of the image.
NASA

Apr 08, 2026 4:24 PM

'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


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