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NASA's Artemis II Mission Crew Prepares for Pacific Ocean Splashdown After Lunar Flyby
The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission, including Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, are scheduled to return to Earth via splashdown off the San Diego coast at 8:07 p.m. ET on April 10. The mission, a 10-day crewed test flight, looped around the moon to validate the Orion spacecraft's systems for future lunar operations.
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ET to adjust the entry angle. ET at 400,000 feet altitude, with the spacecraft traveling at approximately 30 times the speed of sound. ET. ET to reduce velocity. ET in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast. A Navy recovery vessel will assist in retrieving the crew and capsule, including medical evaluations, within two hours.
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Context and Viewing Options Artemis II marks the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, taking the astronauts farther from Earth than any humans previously.
NASA's broadcast of the reentry and splashdown will be available on NASA+, YouTube, and third-party services including HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix. Visibility from the ground may be limited due to daytime conditions and distance from shore, though the spacecraft could appear as a slow-moving shooting star if conditions allow.
The mission tests the Orion heat shield during reentry, one of the most intense phases of spaceflight. No contradictions appear across reports on timing or procedures, though exact visibility depends on weather.
