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Artemis II Reentry Parameters
Critical statistics during the Orion capsule's atmospheric reentry.
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When will Artemis II splash down? Date, how to watch NASA crew return
April 9, 2026, 1:14 p.m. CTThe four astronauts on Artemis II are on their way back from a round-the-moon mission and will soon arrive back to Earth.Their 10-day mission will conclude on Friday with the Orion spacecraft reentering Earth's atmosphere and slowing down enough to deploy parachutes for a soft landing in the Pacific Ocean, much like the Apollo missions five decades earlier when humans first went to the moon.The Artemis II mission has been a success, with jaw-dropping photos from the far side of the moon and an full solar eclipse with a view that only astronauts will ever see. The Orion space capsule and its occupants also flew farther away from Earth than any human before them, and data from their mission is expected to inform future missions to the moon's surface and to Mars.When will Artemis II splash down?According to NASA, Orion and its four occupants will likely splash down at 7:07 p.m. Oklahoma time.NASA will broadcast coverage of the recovery efforts on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock and Roku.Coverage will continue until NASA and military personnel safely assist the crew out of Orion and transport them to the USS John P. Murtha, an amphibious transport ship.Where will Artemis II splash down?During their last full day in space, the Artemis II astronauts are due to spend Thursday, April 9, working with flight control teams back on Earth to review landing procedures and prepare the Orion vehicle for reentering Earth's atmosphere, according to NASA.During reentry, the capsule and its heat shield will be subjected to temperatures of over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.The Artemis II space mission will end with the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean.NASA expects that the capsule to land in the waters off the coast of San Diego while suspended under parachutes. From there, the astronauts will undergo medical evaluations aboard the USS John P. Murtha before returning to shore to board an aircraft bound for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.USA Today Space Connect Reporter Eric Lagatta contributed to this article.
How to Watch Artemis II Head Back to Earth From Its Moon Mission ... - IGN
NASA's Artemis II Orion spacecraft is getting ready to make its grand return to Earth following its mission around the Moon, and you can watch it soar through space as it nears home via a Virtual Telescope Project (VTP) livestream later tonight.Hosted by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, the broadcast on Space.com and VTP's official WebTV will begin at 7:45pm PT / 10:45pm ET on April 9 and 2:45am GMT on April 10, and will use a network of robotic telescopes in Italy to track Artemis II as it flies back to Earth. Assuming the weather cooperates, it will "appear as a faint, fast-moving point of light against the background stars."Image Credit: NASA/Bill IngallsSpeaking of coming home, Artemis II is set to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, on the evening of Friday, April 10, where it will make a fiery entrance back into our atmosphere.NASA's Artemis II successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1 and embarked on its 10-day journey to take humans to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. On their journey, in addition to making some nods to Project Hail Mary, the crew also went further than any human has gone before. When they went around the moon, they ended up surpassing the record of 248,655 miles held by Apollo 13 from 1970.Image Credit: NASAThis mission is a giant step toward a long-term return to the moon and future missions to Mars, and we wish the whole crew a safe and smooth landing back on Earth. For more, check out how you can watch NASA's official livestream of Artemis II's mission and 11 movies and one mini-series about missions to the moon.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
WATCH LIVE: Artemis II crew splashes down on Earth after historic trip ...
HOUSTON (AP) — Drawing ever closer to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts tidied up their lunar cruiser for its upcoming "fireball" return and reflected on their historic journey around the moon ...
What to know about Artemis II crew's return to Earth, splashdown off ...
The Artemis II crew is set to make history as they travel around the far side of the moon, ending with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10. When to watch.
