Splashdown! Artemis 2 astronauts return to Earth after historic NASA mission to the moon
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The Artemis 2 astronauts have returned to Earth after a historic mission to the moon, breaking spaceflight records and setting the stage for future moonshots. The mission launched on April 1 and featured a unique 'free-return' trajectory, taking the crew 252,756 miles from Earth and giving them unprecedented views of the moon's far side.
Artemis 2 astronauts have splashed down off the coast of San Diego, ending their epic mission to the moon. The mission launched on April 1 and was the second-ever liftoff for NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the first crewed flight for both SLS and Orion. The crew of four astronauts, including NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen, flew to the moon and back, breaking records and achieving several firsts. The mission was a shakeout cruise, designed to test the capabilities of SLS and Orion for crewed missions beyond Earth orbit. The astronauts also conducted science objectives, including observing the moon up close and witnessing a solar eclipse. The successful mission paves the way for future moonshots and deeper space exploration.
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