NASA’s Artemis II mission is entering its final phase, with the crew on their return journey to Earth following a historic lunar flyby that set a new distance record for human spaceflight.
In a post on X, NASA said the astronauts have crossed the midpoint between the Moon and Earth.
“They’re halfway home,” the agency said, adding that the crew “will splash down in the Pacific Ocean around 8:07 pm ET on Friday, April 10 (0007 UTC on Saturday, April 11), off the coast of San Diego.”
Splashdown scheduled in Pacific Ocean
The Orion spacecraft is expected to land off the California coast, where recovery operations are planned.
The US Navy’s USS John P. Murtha is set to retrieve both the astronauts and the spacecraft after splashdown, according to US Indo-Pacific Command.
Also Read: Floating Nutella jar on Artemis II spacecraft? NASA clarifies viral cabin footage
During the mission, the crew traveled approximately 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth while passing the Moon’s far side, setting a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled in space.
The milestone surpasses the previous record set by Apollo 13.
Key moments during mission
In addition to the distance record, astronauts witnessed a solar eclipse from space, marking one of several notable observations during the mission.
Also Read: Artemis II update: Astronauts break Apollo 13’s record; name lunar crater after Reid Wiseman’s late wife Carroll
The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission marks the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed test flight under its Artemis program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon and eventually sending astronauts to Mars. The mission is designed to test systems, crew operations, and safety procedures critical for future exploration.
