Artemis II Astronauts Return Home

After traveling nearly 700,000 miles, the Artemis II crew is entering the most perilous phase of their mission: a 24,000mph re-entry through Earth's atmosphere.

The Orion capsule must withstand temperatures of 2,760°C, protected by a three-inch heat shield, before deploying parachutes for a targeted landing off the coast of San Diego.

This mission has set new records for human distance from Earth and serves as the primary proving ground for future Mars exploration.

Recovery teams from the U.S. Navy and NASA are currently stationed in the Pacific to retrieve the astronauts and their spacecraft.