SCIENCE

Artemis II Crew Returns After Historic Moon Flyby

PUBLISHED Apr 11, 2026, 2:51 PM ET

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Artemis II Crew Returns After Historic Moon Flyby

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Sources: 7

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Right 14%

Sources: 7

HOUSTON — The Artemis II crew returned to Houston on Saturday after the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific on April 10, concluding a 10-day mission that carried astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on a crewed lunar flyby and deep-space trajectory test. The crew flew from the recovery area off San Diego to Ellington Field and received a public welcome that included NASA officials and family members; Commander Reid Wiseman acknowledged international partners and the NASA Glenn Research Center during a pre-reentry communication, and agencies scheduled postflight debriefs, biomedical checks and data analysis this week.

By Adyan K. | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Artemis II completed a 10-day crewed lunar flyby.
April 10: Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after re-entry.
Recovery teams retrieved the crew offshore of San Diego.
Crew flew to Ellington Field and received a public welcome in Houston.
Officials announced postflight debriefs, medical checks, and data analysis scheduled this week.

News Intelligence

This mission advances our understanding of space travel, which could impact future tech and jobs. If you're a space enthusiast, follow NASA's postflight debriefs and data analysis this week. They'll share insights about the mission's success and what's next.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 7
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 6

Who Benefited

NASA, its international and industrial partners, and the Artemis II crew benefited from mission validation, recovery operations, and public visibility following a successful lunar flyby and Pacific splashdown.