Politics & Government

Artemis II’s Journey To Moon Ends In Successful Splashdown: See Photos

Artemis II's astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, more than half a century after humanity's last lunar voyage.

Megan VerHelst's profile picture
Megan VerHelst, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
In this image from video provided by NASA, the Artemis II Orion capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
In this image from video provided by NASA, the Artemis II Orion capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, on Friday, April 10, 2026. (NASA via AP)

Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably Earth, against the endless black void of space.

Their flight now complete, flight commander Reid Wiseman of Maryland, pilot Victor Glover of California, Christina Koch of Michgan, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.

Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

See photos below of Artemis II's landing.

A man surfs near a beachfront hotel party for the return of NASA's Artemis II Friday, April 10, 2026, in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
People wait for a glimpse of the return of NASA's Artemis II Friday, April 10, 2026, along the beach in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Yvonne Stringer searches the skies for NASA's Artemis II Friday, April 10, 2026, along the beach in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
In this photo provided by NASA, the Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers aboard approaches the surface of the Pacific Ocean for splashdown off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, the Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers aboard splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, recovery teams work to secure the Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II crewmembers after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, NASA's Orion spacecraft is seen as the agency's Landing and Recovery team, along with U.S. Navy personnel work to recover the spacecraft into the well deck of USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, The Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are photographed on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha after they were extracted from their Orion spacecraft after splashdown on Friday, April 11, 2026. (NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, from left, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Koch, mission specialist; CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, right, pose for a group photo after viewing the Orion spacecraft in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Across Florida