Artemis II crew returns home

The Artemis II mission officially concluded as the Orion spacecraft splashed down off the coast of San Diego following a historic ten-day journey.

During their return, the crew endured temperatures reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit as the capsule plummeted through Earth's atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour.

Despite minor mid-mission glitches, the four-person team—including the first woman and first Black astronaut to visit the lunar vicinity—emerged in good health.

This successful test flight now paves the way for NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the lunar surface and eventually reach Mars.