Four astronauts return from humanity’s first trip around the Moon in more than 50 years
NASA’s Artemis II astronauts are returning to Earth, ending humanity’s first crewed trip around the Moon in more than half a century.
The mission is NASA’s first crewed Artemis flight and the first time people have traveled beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The Orion spacecraft is carrying Commander Reed Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Launching April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the four-person crew spent about 10 days testing the spacecraft and its systems on a lunar flyby designed to help pave the way for future missions in the Artemis program.
Live: They are coming home. See the Artemis II crew returning to Earth at approximately 8:07 p.m. ET (0007 UTC April 11). https://t.co/n3vZE2rcFv
– NASA (@NASA) 10 April 2026
During the mission, Artemis II set a new distance record for human spaceflight, with NASA saying the crew surpassed the mark set by Apollo 13.
The astronauts also made a high-profile flyby of the far side of the Moon and took dramatic photos of the Moon and Earth during the return phase.
The crew module on Orion has separated from its service module. After traveling around the moon, seeing its far side and experiencing a solar eclipse, the Artemis II astronauts are on the final leg of their journey home. pic.twitter.com/j9u5j1Noi9
– NASA (@NASA) 10 April 2026
The final descent was one of the most important stages of the flight. Orion entered Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed, endured extreme heat during re-entry, then slowed under parachute before splashing down. NASA and US Navy recovery teams were deployed to retrieve the spacecraft and crew after landing.
After a journey of more than 690,000 miles, the crew is almost home. The Artemis II crew will touch down off the coast of San Diego later today and, although it won’t be visible from land, you can still wave in their general direction to welcome them back to Earth! 👋 pic.twitter.com/ZZX23QCTpb
– NASA (@NASA) 10 April 2026
Artemis II did not land on the Moon, but NASA has described it as an important test of the systems needed to send astronauts into deep space and eventually back to the lunar surface.
Like most test flights, Artemis II was not entirely trouble-free. Early in the mission, the crew and flight controllers had to troubleshoot Orion’s toilet after a malfunctioning light appeared, and later had to deal with additional sanitation-system issues, including urine-drainage problems and a strange burning smell near the toilet bay. NASA said the glitches were manageable and did not pose a threat to the mission.
The results of the mission are expected to shape the next steps of the Artemis mission, including future crewed lunar operations.
