When does Artemis II return to Earth?

Artemis II breaks Apollo 13 record of space travel from Earth

The Artemis II crew has now traveled farther from Earth than any other human ever on its way to the moon. At 1:57 p.m. on Monday, April 6, Artemis II's astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, traveled more than 248,655 miles from Earth, breaking the previous record set by the historic Apollo 13 mission in 1970. The Artemis II crew is expected to reach a maximum distance of 252,752 miles from Earth as it conducts a flyby of the moon – the pivotal part of its 10-day lunar mission.

When does Artemis II return from its 10-day mission to the moon, and where will the crew land?

Artemis II has flown farther from Earth than any other human space flight, passing the previous record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.  Artemis II is also the first crewed flight to view the far side of the moon.

Here's what you need to know about Artemis II's return to Earth.

When does Artemis II return to Earth?

Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. on April 1. It is set to splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California on Friday, April 10 at approx. 8:07 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Though those times could shift.

Artemis II rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Artemis II mission lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B, sending four astronauts aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on a journey around the Moon, officials said.

What happens after they splashdown?

After the Artemis II splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near California, recovery teams will retrieve the astronauts and fly them via helicopter to the USS John P. Mutha. They will then be evaluated on the ship. When cleared, Artemis II's crew will be flown to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, NASA said.

What has Artemis II been looking at while on the mission?

During the hours-long flight to the moon and back, NASA and Artemis II's astronauts have been testing the Orion spacecraft, their spacesuits, and the technology needed to fly to the moon.

During the lunar flyby, the Artemis II were tasked with photographing, observing, and analyzing nearly 30 targets on the moon's surface, including the Orientale basin, a 3.8-billion-year-old, 600-mile-wide crater on the moon's surface, and the Hertzsprung basin, a 400-mile crater northwest of the Orientale basin.

They also took photos, videos, and made voice memos during the mission, according to NASA broadcasts of the lunar flyby, and provided descriptions of the lunar surface to NASA scientists back on Earth.

Artemis II photos

Meet the Artemis II astronauts

FILE - NASA astronauts (left to right) Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel)

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, marking Canada’s first astronaut to fly on a lunar mission.