TECHNOLOGYCONVEY
THE VERGE·APRIL 10, 2026

How to watch the Artemis II astronauts return to Earth

VERIFIED FACTS
  • 01The Orion capsule carrying Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at approximately 5:07PM PT / 8:07PM ET.
  • 02The Artemis II mission lasted nine days and set a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.
  • 03The Orion capsule's heat shield sustained unexpected damage during the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022.
  • 04Navy recovery crews will bring the astronauts to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks before they helicopter back to land.
  • 05NASA will livestream the splash down on its official YouTube channel, with coverage beginning at 6:30PM ET on major news channels, Netflix, and other outlets.
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SUMMARY

The Orion capsule carrying four astronauts is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego following the nine-day Artemis II mission, which set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. The capsule's heat shield, which sustained damage during a previous uncrewed test flight, will face its critical re-entry test as the spacecraft makes a high-speed atmospheric entry. Navy recovery crews will retrieve the astronauts for medical evaluation before they return to land.

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