Artemis II Crew Module Separates from Service Module as Mission Heads Home
NASA's Artemis II crew module separated from its service module at 7:33 p.m. ET on April 10, 2026. The astronauts have been living in the crew module for 10 days during their mission to the moon and are now preparing to return to Earth.
NASA's Artemis II mission reached a crucial milestone when the crew module separated from its service module at 7:33 p.m. ET on April 10, 2026. The four astronauts have been living in the crew module for the past 10 days during their historic journey around the moon.
The service module provided power and steering for the spacecraft during the mission. Now that it has separated, the crew module will handle the final phase of the journey back to Earth on its own.
The astronauts are now suited up and preparing for reentry into Earth's atmosphere. This is the most dangerous part of their journey, as the spacecraft must survive intense heat and pressure as it returns home.
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo program ended in the 1970s. The mission is testing technology and procedures that will be used for future moon landings and eventual trips to Mars.
Mission control teams are closely monitoring the crew's progress as they prepare for the final stages of their return to Earth.
This marks a key step in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon for the first time in decades. The mission tests critical technology that will be used for future moon landings and potentially Mars missions.
The crew will reenter Earth's atmosphere and splashdown in the ocean in the coming hours.
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