Ways to View the Return of Artemis II Astronauts to Earth

After a high-speed atmospheric re-entry, the capsule is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. The Orion capsule, with Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will return to Earth after a nine-day mission, setting a record for the farthest human travel from the planet. The capsule is expected to splash down at around 5:07 PM PT / 8:07 PM ET, after which Navy crews will transport the astronauts to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks before they helicopter back to land. Re-entry poses notable risks, especially for Artemis II due to a design flaw in the Orion capsule’s heat shield, which was damaged unexpectedly during the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022. The splashdown will be broadcast live on NASA’s YouTube channel and covered by major news channels, Netflix, and others starting at 6:30 PM ET.