The Orion capsule and its four astronauts successfully reached the Pacific. NASA’s spacecraft carrying the Artemis II crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California, at 5:07 pm Pacific time in perfect weather. The crew module, Integrity, returned safely despite nerve-wracking maneuvers in the mission’s final half-hour, which included separation from the service module, reorientation for reentry, and enduring a six-minute communication blackout. The parachutes deployed smoothly, and on reaching the Pacific, the crew was reported “green” (all okay), although a satellite phone malfunctioned. Throughout the descent, the astronauts maintained good spirits, taking in the view. The successful mission, which traveled further from Earth than any human journey before, was a crucial step for a planned moon landing in 2028. NASA’s broader goal is to prepare for human missions to Mars, aiming to return to the moon before China achieves its own first human moon landing.
Splashdown! Artemis II Crew Safely Returns to Earth
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