spacetoday.net: Artemis 2 splashes down

Posted: Sat, Apr 11, 2026, 10:47 AM ET (1447 GMT)
Artemis 2 splashdown (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA's Artemis 2 mission successfully concluded with a splashdown of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean Friday. The Orion spacecraft Integrity splashed down at 8:07 pm EDT (0007 GMT Saturday) off the coast from San Diego. The four astronauts on board were in good condition after a trip lasting more than nine days, and were on a recovery ship within two hours of splashdown. The Orion spacecraft was later loaded onto the recovery ship. The splashdown concluded the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in more than 50 years, with the Orion spacecraft flying around the moon on a test flight. Artemis 3, a mission in Earth orbit to test the Orion spacecraft's ability to dock with lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, is scheduled to launch by mid-2027.