NASA’s Artemis II mission concluded early Friday as its four astronauts returned safely to Earth after a 10-day journey toward the Moon. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, marking a major milestone in human spaceflight after more than five decades.
The spacecraft launched on April 2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with four crew members. During the flight, the team entered the Moon’s gravitational influence and approached as close as about 6,545 km, sending back images described as unlike those previously seen by human eyes.
At its farthest point, the mission reached about 406,778 km from Earth, surpassing the 400,171 km distance record associated with the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. The crew also carried out intensive observations for around seven hours while near the Moon.
During the lunar pass, the astronauts reported identifying two new bright craters and naming them. Leaders including US President Donald Trump, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Britain’s King Charles III were among those who conveyed congratulations on the successful return.
NASA’s next steps include Artemis III next year, during which astronauts are expected to conduct spacecraft-docking training. Artemis IV is planned for 2028, with a goal of landing humans in the Moon’s southern region.
