Skip to main content
institutional access

You are connecting from
Lake Geneva Public Library,
please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.

Published loading...Updated

Artemis II successfully splashes down, completing historic lunar mission

  • On Friday, April 10, 2026, NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, concluding a historic 10-day lunar mission aboard the Orion capsule, nicknamed Integrity.
  • Launched April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center, the four-person crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a new record for human deep-space distance.
  • During re-entry, the Orion capsule endured temperatures reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit; after a six-minute communications blackout, the spacecraft deployed three main parachutes to stabilize descent.
  • U.S. Navy recovery teams aboard the USS John P. Murtha retrieved the crew shortly after splashdown; a medical officer confirmed all four astronauts were healthy and ready to return to Houston.
  • With Artemis II complete, NASA turns attention to the Artemis III mission, slated for 2027, to test integrated operations with commercial moon landers as a stepping stone toward establishing a long-term lunar presence.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

845 Articles

Center

NASA's Artemis II mission has been successfully concluded this Friday after the return to Earth of its...

·Spain
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 48% of the sources are Center
48% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

USA Today broke the news in United States on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal