NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years, has successfully launched with four astronauts on board. The team, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, will return to Earth on April 10, 2026, after a 10-day journey around the Moon.
The astronauts, clad in bright orange suits, include Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. During the final checks before launch, they expressed their determination to represent 'all humanity' on this historic mission.
After a 10-day journey, the Orion spacecraft will reenter Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 25,000 miles per hour, marking the fastest reentry speed ever attempted for a crewed vehicle. The capsule will then deploy parachutes for a controlled descent before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
Recovery teams from the US Navy will be positioned in the designated zone to retrieve both the astronauts and the Orion capsule shortly after landing. Once safely recovered, the astronauts will undergo immediate medical evaluations and physical performance tests to understand how quickly the human body readjusts to gravity after extended time in deep space.
