The Orion capsule sent to the Artemis 2 mission with 4 astronauts at 9:07 pm this Friday (April 10, 2026) in the Pacific Ocean, near the coast of California, in the United States. NASA’s space trip lasted 10 days and marked the return of human beings to the vicinity of the Moon after more than 50 years.
Four astronauts were on board Orion: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency).
After the splashdown (as landing in the ocean is called), teams from the US Navy reached the capsule by boat and removed the crew. They were transported by helicopter to the military ship USS John P. Murtha, where they undergo medical evaluation. Only then will the crew head to the mainland.
See the images:
Initially, around 6.7 km altitude, when the stabilization parachutes were opened
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
Finally, the 3 main parachutes, responsible for reducing speed for landing in the ocean
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
In the image, Orion approaches landing
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
Splashdown moment (as landing in the ocean is called)
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
First boats begin to arrive at the capsule
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
NASA and US Navy teams begin to remove crew members
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
Crew members begin to exit the capsule. They will then be transported by helicopter to the military ship USS John P. Murtha, where they will be evaluated by doctors
| Reproduction / Youtube /@NASA
Welcome home Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy! 🫶
The Artemis II astronauts have splashed down at 8:07pm ET (0007 UTC April 11), bringing their historic 10-day mission around the Moon to an end.
— NASA (@NASA)
🚨 BREAKING: The Artemis II crew has SUCCESSFULLY emerged from the capsule, into NASA’s lifeboats after splashing down from their lunar orbit mission
This crew now holds the WORLD RECORD for the FARTHEST DISTANCE humans have ever traveled from Earth.
ONLY America could do it!🇺🇸
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor)
🚨 BREAKING: Navy medics have entered the Artemis II capsule, and ALL FOUR astronauts are in GREAT SHAPE, ready to be extracted
What a SUCCESS!
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor)
Orion’s main parachute has deployed. The spacecraft has a system of 11 chutes that will slow it down from around 300 mph to 20 mph for splashdown.
Get more updates on the Artemis II blog:
— NASA (@NASA)
The objective of the mission was to test Orion systems – including life support, communication and propulsion – and manned flight procedures around the Moon. The astronauts conducted experiments, systems monitoring and navigation maneuvers, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of future lunar missions.
Throughout this Friday (April 10), the crew reviewed essential procedures for returning to Earth, such as the trajectory and weather conditions.
High-speed re-entry, approximately 38,000 km/h was initiated when the Orion service module was jettisoned, approximately 20 minutes from entry. In this re-entry phase, extreme temperatures can exceed 2,760 degrees Celsius.
After crossing the Earth’s atmosphere, the capsule began to open its parachutes in stages. They are:
- initially, around 6.7 km altitude, when the stabilization parachutes were opened;
- finally, the 3 main parachutes, responsible for reducing speed for landing in the ocean.
Read the full schedule:
- 8:33 pm: separation of the service module;
- 8:37 pm: last trajectory adjustment burn;
- 20:53: beginning of the communication blackout, caused by the plasma around the capsule;
- maximum speed of close to 38,400 km/h before entering the atmosphere;
- crew can face up to 3.9 times the force of gravity;
- 9:03 pm: opening of the stabilization parachutes (drogues), at approximately 6.7 km altitude;
- 9:04 pm: opening of the 3 main parachutes, approximately 1.8 km away;
- 9:07 pm: Landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Watch the moment of Artemis 2 launch (3min45s):
