'Welcome home, Artemis': Crew celebrates historic 10-day moon mission
After their historic lunar flyby, the crew safely splashed down in the Pacific.
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.
Key Headlines
- Crew makes 1st appearance since return from historic mission
- 'Welcome home, Artemis': Jubilant and emotional, crew speaks out on historic moon mission
- Trump says he will welcome Artemis II crew to White House 'soon'
- NASA officials hail 'new era' of space exploration after successful mission
- Crew members hoisted into helicopters
- All 4 crew members out of the capsule
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!"
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 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
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
Artemis II crew exits lunar sphere of influence
The Artemis II astronauts have exited the lunar sphere of influence, saying goodbye to the moon's gravitational pull, NASA's Mission Control said.
Flight day 7 is all about reflection for the Earth-bound crew of four as they prepare to meet with teams on the ground for a lunar flyby debrief.
During this meeting, the crew will be sharing observations of the moon and its features.
Tonight, at around 9:03 p.m. ET, the spacecraft will use its thrusters to fire the first of three trajectory correction burns, adjusting the spacecraft's path back home.
NASA says it is currently a "go" for splashdown on Friday, April 10. The crew is expected to touch down in the Pacific Ocean just after 8 p.m. ET Friday, concluding the approximately 695,081-mile journey around the moon and back to Earth.
-ABC News' Briana Alvarado