NASA Artemis II Crew Returns to Earth Friday After Historic Moon Flyby
NASA's Artemis II crew is heading back to Earth and will splash down Friday after completing a historic flyby of the moon. The astronauts are finishing their final tests aboard the Orion spacecraft as flight controllers prepare for their return.
NASA's Artemis II crew is in the final stretch of their historic mission, preparing to return to Earth on Friday after becoming the first humans to fly around the moon in more than five decades.
The astronauts completed their lunar flyby on April 6 and are now conducting key tests aboard the Orion spacecraft as they journey home. As of their most recent update, the crew was 200,278 miles from Earth and 83,549 miles from the moon.
Flight controllers on the ground are busy preparing for the crew's reentry and splashdown, which will mark the end of this groundbreaking mission. The crew has been awake and working through their checklist of final procedures.
Artemis II is part of NASA's larger plan to return humans to the moon permanently. The mission serves as a crucial test for future lunar landings, where astronauts will eventually build bases and conduct long-term research that could pave the way for Mars exploration.
This marks the first time humans have traveled to the moon in over 50 years. The successful mission brings NASA closer to landing astronauts on the lunar surface again, which could lead to permanent moon bases and eventual Mars missions.
The crew will splash down Friday. NASA will analyze mission data to prepare for Artemis III, the planned moon landing mission.
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