The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday evening, concluding a historic 10-day journey around the moon. The Orion spacecraft touched down at 5.07pm local time, after travelling 694,481 miles (1,117,659km). Although the mission lasted nine days, one hour and 32 minutes, it is officially recorded as a 10-day flight because the day of lift-off was designated as flight day one.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch of Nasa, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen became the first humans to travel to the moon and return safely since Apollo 17 in December 1972. They join an exclusive group of just 24 other people who have accomplished this feat. The crew were retrieved by a recovery team from the USS John P Murtha and transferred to the navy ship by helicopter, all reported to be in good health.
During the descent, Wiseman described the view of Earth as having a 'great blue hue'. Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman, speaking from the USS John P Murtha, hailed the mission as 'just the beginning', adding that the agency plans to send missions to the moon with increasing frequency, aiming for a crewed landing in 2028. Koch, the only woman on the mission, spoke of being 'moved by looking at the moon' during the spacecraft's closest approach.
The successful return of Artemis II proves Nasa's ability to safely transport humans to cislunar space. The agency will now apply the lessons learned to prepare for Artemis III, which is scheduled to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028, 56 years after the last such landing. The mission also provided stunning imagery and heartfelt reflections from the crew, offering a rare moment of global unity.
