NASA has successfully welcomed home the Artemis II crew after a record-setting lunar flyby mission, marking the first time in more than half a century that astronauts traveled to the Moon’s vicinity and returned safely to Earth.

Axar.az reports the Orion spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California, concluding a nearly 10-day, 694,000-mile mission.

Historic return from deep space

The Artemis II crew reached a record-breaking distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, farther than any humans have previously traveled, surpassing the Apollo 13 record. The mission served as the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, designed for future deep-space exploration.

NASA confirmed the spacecraft performed a precise, high-speed reentry at approximately 25,000 miles per hour, enduring extreme heat before deploying parachutes for a controlled descent into the Pacific Ocean.

Recovery teams from NASA and the U.S. Navy quickly reached the capsule, assisted the astronauts out of Orion, and transported them via helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for initial medical evaluations. The crew is expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston following recovery procedures.

A milestone for the Artemis program

NASA officials hailed the mission as a major step toward returning humans to the Moon.

“Artemis II demonstrated extraordinary skill, courage, and dedication,” said NASA leadership, emphasizing the mission’s role in validating Orion, SLS, and deep-space life-support systems.

The spacecraft—named Integrity by the crew—successfully completed multiple in-flight evaluations, including manual piloting tests, life-support verification, and scientific experiments designed to prepare astronauts for long-duration missions beyond Earth orbit.

During the lunar flyby, the crew captured more than 7,000 images of the Moon and Earth, including views of Earthrise, lunar craters, and a rare solar eclipse from deep space.

Science and exploration objectives achieved

Throughout the mission, astronauts conducted human research experiments, including studies of radiation exposure and microgravity effects on human tissue. These findings will inform future Artemis missions and long-term human presence on the Moon.

NASA also deployed international CubeSats during the early phase of the mission, reinforcing global collaboration in space exploration.

Preparing for Artemis III and beyond

With Artemis II now complete, NASA is shifting focus toward Artemis III, which will aim to return astronauts to the lunar surface using commercially developed landers.

Officials say the Artemis program represents a “golden age of exploration,” with goals extending beyond the Moon toward establishing a sustained lunar presence and preparing for future human missions to Mars.