Artemis II returns to Earth

After a historic 10-day journey that took humanity around the far side of the moon, the Orion spacecraft is on its final approach to Earth.

The crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, must navigate a high-stakes descent that will test the capsule's heat shield against temperatures reaching 2,760°C. Mission Control in Houston is monitoring a known helium leak, though officials remain confident in a safe recovery off the coast of San Diego.

This mission marks a pivotal milestone in NASA's ambition to establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface.