Artemis II Crew Splashes Down After Historic 10-Day Moon Mission

Four astronauts splash down safely after 52-year gap in human lunar travel, setting stage for Artemis III landing attempt

Four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego's coast Friday evening at 5:07 p.m. Pacific Time, completing humanity's first crewed journey beyond Earth orbit in more than half a century. The 10-day mission around the moon marked a pivotal milestone in NASA's campaign to return humans to the lunar surface.