When Will Artemis II Return to Earth — And Where Will Orion Splash Down?

For the first time in more than half a century, global attention is focused on astronauts traveling to the moon. The Artemis II crew launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, beginning an approximately 10-day mission to orbit the moon and test the Orion spacecraft and its systems ahead of future lunar landings.

Planned Return And Splashdown

NASA has scheduled Orion's reentry into Earth's atmosphere for April 10, though officials note the exact splashdown time and location can shift as mission milestones are met. As of April 6, mission planners expect the spacecraft to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, at about 8:07 p.m. ET on April 10.

Recovery And Post-Flight Procedures

After splashdown, recovery teams will lift the crew to helicopters and transfer them to the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha. Once aboard, the astronauts will undergo initial medical checks before returning to shore and flying to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for more comprehensive post-mission evaluations.

Mission Purpose And Timeline

Artemis II is primarily a test flight. The four-person crew will exercise spacecraft systems, communications, life-support and navigation hardware in a real lunar environment to validate performance ahead of a future crewed lunar landing. The mission is expected to last roughly 10 days; after completing the lunar portion, the crew will use Earth’s gravity to guide Orion on a roughly four-day return trajectory back home.

Crew And Milestones

The flight carries four crew members: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, plus Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. The mission marks several notable firsts: Victor Glover becomes the first Black man to travel to the vicinity of the moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman to reach this distance, and Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to fly that far. The three U.S. crew members are veteran space flyers who have flown to the International Space Station; Hansen, a veteran aviator, is on his first spaceflight.

Broader Artemis Goals

The Artemis campaign aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo and to establish a sustainable presence at the moon’s south pole through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions. That foothold is intended to support science, exploration and future human missions to Mars.

Follow The Mission

Anyone who wants to track Orion in real time can use NASA’s Artemis II tracker, available online and in the agency’s mobile app. The smartphone app includes an augmented-reality feature that lets users visualize Orion's position relative to Earth as the spacecraft travels between the Earth and the moon.

Note: Splashdown timing and location remain subject to change as the mission proceeds and controllers refine reentry planning.