The Artemis II crew splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026, after a 10-day journey around the Moon.
They arrived at Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 11, where they began standard postflight reconditioning, and evaluations.
On April 16, the four astronauts held their first news conference at Johnson Space Center to discuss the mission.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, shared details of their experience with reporters.
The crew blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1 and traveled beyond the far side of the Moon.
The goal of the Artemis missions is to eventually return humans to the lunar surface, establish a permanent presence there, and send the first astronauts to Mars.
During the news conference, Wiseman said the crew launched as friends and returned as best friends, bonded forever by their shared experience.
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Glover stated they did what they said they were going to do and now must step out and face reality after the mission.
Koch reflected on the mission’s significance, noting the astronauts traveled deeper into space than any humans had ventured before.
Hansen emphasized the importance of international collaboration, highlighting the Canadian Space Agency’s role in the mission’s success.
The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, performed as expected during the lunar flyby, which served as a test flight for future Artemis missions.
Mission Control at Johnson Space Center monitored the entire journey, providing real-time support to the crew throughout the 10-day flight.
The splashdown was described as textbook, with recovery teams securing the capsule quickly after it landed in the Pacific Ocean.
Post-mission debriefs will focus on lunar science data collected during the flyby and spacecraft performance evaluations.
What was the primary objective of the Artemis II mission?
The primary objective of the Artemis II mission was to test the Orion spacecraft’s systems with a crew aboard during a lunar flyby, laying the groundwork for future lunar surface missions.
How long did the Artemis II mission last?
The Artemis II mission lasted 10 days, from launch on April 1, 2026, to splashdown on April 10, 2026.