After a 10-day mission around the Moon, the four-member crew of the Artemis II mission has successfully returned to Earth. American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen splashed down at approximately 02:30 (Greek time), according to schedule, off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean, completing a historic journey around the Moon.
Read: Apollo 11: Did humans really land on the Moon in 1969?
The Orion spacecraft entered the atmosphere at speeds exceeding 38,000 kilometers per hour, while friction forces raised temperatures to levels above 2,700 degrees Celsius. Despite the extreme conditions, the capsule splashed down smoothly in the Pacific Ocean, slowed by the deployment of large parachutes, following the same pattern as the Apollo program missions.
Crowds gathered on the shores to watch the return of the 4 astronauts who collected valuable material for the next mission, Artemis III, which aims to land on the Moon. The smiling crew arrived on the deck where they would be transported to another location for medical examinations.
Trump’s congratulations to the four astronauts
Donald Trump congratulated the 4 astronauts of the mission after their landing. “Congratulations to the great and very talented crew of (mission) Artemis 2. The entire journey was spectacular, the splashdown was perfect and, as President of the United States, I couldn’t be prouder!”, Donald Trump stated via Truth Social.
“We’ll do it again and then,” the “next step” will be American astronauts traveling “to Mars!”, the Republican billionaire added.
We can achieve great things when we work together.
The Artemis II recovery team includes specialists from the U.S. military alongside engineers and technicians from NASA and Lockheed Martin. pic.twitter.com/eQSPpNTeDS
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) April 11, 2026
Artemis II may have splashed down, but our photos and videos from the mission are still rolling in! Keep an eye on the latest: https://t.co/rzM1P0QbOl pic.twitter.com/HahXb0gCYC
— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2026
Big smiles from Christina and Victor on the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, as they waited to be escorted for their routine post-mission medical checks. pic.twitter.com/3KwZFXTLhI
— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2026
Look closely and you can see our fifth and smallest crew member crossing the flight deck with @Astro_Reid. Rise has returned to Earth! pic.twitter.com/rLjcEz7PTj
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) April 11, 2026
