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Artemis II splashdown captures nationwide attention

NPR | By Alana Wise
Published April 11, 2026 at 12:29 PM EDT
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
Bill Ingalls
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NASA
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.

The Artemis II crew made their return to Earth on Friday following the Orion spacecraft's historic 10-day trip around the Moon, capturing the attention of awestruck fans nationwide.

In stadiums across the country, Jumbotrons projected the team's successful splashdown into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif.

NASA's Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026.
Bill Ingalls / NASA
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NASA
NASA's Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026.

Viewers watched in open amazement as the capsule, crewed by commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, parachuted from the skies into the ocean.

NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
Bill Ingalls / NASA
/
NASA
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.

The trip broke the record for accomplished by humans and gave the scientists aboard the spacecraft a chance to test critical systems within Orion, including the ship's life support system, maneuverability, its heat shield, and the to ever orbit the moon.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, left, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
Bill Ingalls / NASA
/
NASA
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, left, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.

Humankind hasn't set foot on the moon since 1972's Apollo 17. The Artemis mission series seeks to change that. The flight of the series is expected to launch sometime next year, with the plan to stay in Earth orbit to test the gear that will send astronauts to the lunar surface.

Copyright 2026 NPR

U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship.
James Blair / NASA
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NASA
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship.
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Alana Wise
Alana Wise is a politics reporter on the Washington desk at NPR.