Artemis II splashdown Highlights: Astronauts safely back on Earth after trip around

NASA said in a post on X, “Big smiles from Christina and Victor on the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, as they waited to be escorted for their routine post-mission medical checks.”

From liftoff to splashdown, the trip clocked in at nine days, one hour, 31 minutes and 35 seconds -- though NASA rounds up and calls it a 10-day mission.

It began with a dramatic launch from Florida on April 1, and was studded with firsts, records and extraordinary moments.

Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that the crewmembers -- himself along with Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen -- were "stable" and "green."

"They're in great condition, that's what that means," said Rob Navias, the NASA public affairs official who narrated their return on the agency's livestream.

Chris Williams said in a post on X, "Our crew on the @Space_Station caught a glimpse of the @NASAArtemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon! We first saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn’t see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we saw the wispy trail it left behind in the upper atmosphere. Overjoyed that our friends are safely back on Earth after their awe-inspiring mission!"

Artemis II also marks the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon in more than 50 years, carrying astronauts farther into space than any humans have travelled before, reinforcing a new era of lunar exploration.

Artemis II astronauts emerge one-by-one from their moon capsule after returning to Earth with an ocean splashdown. (AP)

The Artemis II capsule and its four-member crew streaked through Earth's atmosphere and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday after nearly 10 days in space, capping the first voyage by humans to the moon in over half a century.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social, “Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”

NASA said in a post on X, “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.”

Despite its rich scientific yield, the nearly 10-day flight was not without technical issues. Both the capsule’s drinking water and propellant systems were hit with valve problems. In perhaps the most high-profile predicament, the toilet kept malfunctioning, but the astronauts shrugged it all off.

The approximately 10-day mission that began with a dramatic launch from Florida on April 1 was studded with firsts, records and extraordinary moments.

It was considered a key stepping stone towards eventual crewed lunar landings.

It was the first crewed mission of NASA's program aiming to install a sustained presence on the Moon, including the eventual construction of a base.

The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down as planned Friday off the California coast, capping the US space agency's successful crewed test mission around the Moon, the first such flyby in more than 50 years.

Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that the crewmembers -- himself along with Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen -- were "stable" and "green."

Launched from Florida on April 1, the astronauts racked up one win after another as they deftly navigated NASA's long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step in establishing a sustainable moon base.

Artemis II didn't land on the moon or even orbit it. But it broke Apollo 13's distance record and marked the farthest that humans have ever journeyed from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometres).

Artemis II's astronauts returned from the moon with a dramatic splashdown in the Pacific on Friday to close out humanity's first lunar voyage in more than a half-century.

It was a triumphant homecoming for the crew of four whose record-breaking lunar flyby revealed not only swaths of the moon's far side – never seen before by human eyes – but a total solar eclipse.

Launched from Florida on April 1, the astronauts racked up one win after another as they deftly navigated NASA’s long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step in establishing a sustainable moon base.

Artemis II didn't land on the moon or even orbit it. But it broke Apollo 13's distance record and marked the farthest that humans have ever journeyed from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). Then in the mission's most heart-tugging scene, the teary astronauts asked permission to name a pair of craters after their moonship and Wiseman's late wife, Carroll.

Artemis II splashdown LIVE: NASA Artemis astronauts splash down into Pacific Ocean

The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Friday after completing a historic mission around the Moon. This marked a crucial test of the capsule’s heat shield, designed to withstand extreme temperatures during descent.

Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman are now in the final stage of their roughly 10-day mission, which featured a lunar slingshot maneuver.

During re-entry, they are expected to experience a six-minute communication blackout.

Artemis II splashdown LIVE: NASA astronauts descend into Earth's atmosphere in critical heat shield test