NASA's Artemis II moon crew splashes down in Pacific after historic lunar mission
Four astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft returned to Earth on Friday, April 10, 2026, completing the first crewed moon mission in over 50 years with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. The 10-day Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in human spaceflight and marks NASA's successful return to lunar exploration after decades. This achievement signals renewed American commitment to space exploration and sets the stage for future lunar bases and missions to Mars. The mission's success demonstrates international capability in advanced space technology and competition among spacefaring nations.
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- April 10, 2026 at 6:25 AM PDT
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NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down on Friday after completing a successful moon mission and returned to Ellington Field Reserve Base to address the public for the first time since landing. The crew spoke about their mission experiences during the press event. CBS News covered the astronauts' remarks live.
The Artemis II crew returned to Earth on Friday, April 10, 2026, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean following a historic journey to the moon. NASA characterized the mission as successful and stated the achievement marks the beginning of expanded human space exploration. The event was documented and reported by WeatherNation.
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