Artemis II Crew Back in Houston After Successful Lunar-Orbit Mission

Overview

• The four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — addressed a crowd in Houston on Saturday following Friday’s splashdown off San Diego and recovery to the USS John P. Murtha.
• During reentry, Orion faced extreme heat and mission control lost contact for about six minutes, which NASA said was expected as plasma formed around the capsule.
• The crew traveled about 406,771 kilometers from Earth during the ten-day flight, surpassing Apollo-era distance marks.
• A close pass behind the Moon caused roughly 40 minutes without communications and produced high‑resolution images of the far side and an “Earthset” view.
• The astronauts shared emotional takeaways, including calling Earth a “lifeboat,” as NASA released mission photos and kept plans for Artemis III in 2027 and Artemis IV in 2028 that aim for a surface return.