'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 7:53 PM

Artemis II crew woken up with Chappell Roan bop

The Artemis crew awoke from their sleep to the song "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan around 12:35 p.m. ET.

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

“We were all eagerly awaiting the chorus,” one crew member said.

NASA

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

NASA

Commander Reid Wiseman gazes at Earth from Orion’s windows, a reminder of home as they travel toward the moon.

NASA

NASA also just released new downlinked images from Orion capturing Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch gazing at Earth from Orion’s windows, a reminder of home as they travel toward the moon.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

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 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.

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