The four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego just after 2 a.m. local time on Saturday. Their return marked the end of a 10-day test flight that took them around the Moon, the first such mission since 1972. The crew included Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
The spacecraft, Orion, was recovered by the USS San Diego after a controlled re-entry. NASA confirmed the capsule landed within the planned recovery zone. Teams are now assessing the spacecraft and data from the flight to prepare for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
This mission tested Orion’s systems in deep space, including life support and navigation. It also demonstrated the spacecraft’s heat shield during a high-speed re-entry. The successful splashdown confirms Orion’s readiness for future crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit.
The recovery operation involved helicopters and ships from the U.S. Navy. The astronauts were extracted from the capsule and taken to medical checks before being flown to land. NASA held a briefing shortly after recovery to provide initial updates on the mission’s outcome.
Artemis II’s return paves the way for Artemis III, which NASA targets for 2026. This next mission will aim to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon using SpaceX’s Starship as the lunar lander.
Source: tu.no