'Welcome home, Artemis': Crew celebrates historic 10-day moon mission

After their historic lunar flyby, the crew safely splashed down in the Pacific.

ByMary Kekatos, Julia Jacobo, Leah Sarnoff, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: April 11, 2026, 5:12 PM EDT

NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The four-person crew completed a 695,081-mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.

A "textbook" splashdown took place at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, April 10.

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Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 08, 2026, 12:23 PM EDT

'Moon Joy': NASA releases new photos of Artemis II crew

Newly released photos from NASA capture the joy of the Artemis II crew after they looped around the far side of the moon

In one photo, entitled "Moon Joy," Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover take time for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on April 7 as they head home.

The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 on their way home following a trip around the far side of the Moon.
NASA

Also seen in the photos is the plushie, "Rise," designed by a second grader who won a contest for his toy to travel with the astronauts.

At just under 200,000 miles from Earth, the Artemis II crew is closing in on the final destination of its cosmic ride.

PHOTO: The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator "Rise," inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 following a trip around the far side of the Moon.
The Artemis II crew, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator "Rise," inside the Orion spacecraft April 7, 2026 on their way home following a trip around the far side of the Moon.
NASA

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

Apr 08, 2026, 12:22 PM EDT

Artemis II crew awakes to Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure'

The Artemis II crew awoke around 11:35 a.m. ET to the 1981 song "Under Pressure," by Queen and David Bowie.

The astronauts also received a message from the Canadian Space Agency, of which mission specialist Jeremy Hansen is part.

The message starts with audio counting down the crew's liftoff and Canadian Space Agency employees shouting, "Go Artemis II!"

"Your friends and colleagues at the Canadian Space Agency wish you another great day on your voyage," the message stated. "Canadians everywhere are inspired by your journey and we’re with you every step of the way. Let’s go!"

Apr 08, 2026, 9:07 AM EDT

Weather for Artemis II splashdown appears to be holding up

The weather for the Artemis II splashdown on Friday appears to be holding up. Currently, the spacecraft is tentatively scheduled to splash down at 8:07 p.m. ET off the coast of San Diego.

Artemis II Splashdown
ABC News

Artemis II recovery criteria require winds below 28.7 miles per hour, wave heights under six feet and no rain or lightning within 30 nautical miles of the splashdown site.

Overall, much of these criteria should be met, according to forecasts. Rain should stay well north of the region and clouds shouldn't be outside of the safety criteria, and winds and wave height should be within the necessary range for a successful splashdown and recovery.

-ABC News' Kenton Gewecke

Apr 07, 2026, 4:17 PM EDT

Weather for Artemis II splashdown looks mild, monitoring for rain

The weather for the Artemis II splashdown on Friday evening off the coast of San Diego looks mild, but will have to be monitored.

Artemis II recovery criteria require winds below 28.7 miles per hour, wave heights under 6 feet and no rain or lightning within 30 nautical miles of the splashdown site.


So far, the wave heights and wind meet the criteria, but there is a possibility of showers off the coast.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin

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