Artemis II astronauts return to Earth after historic 10-day lunar mission PHOTO / VIDEO

The astronauts who travelled to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission completed their 10-day flight aboard the Orion capsule on April 10, splashing down safely off the coast of San Diego.

The spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean at 8:07 p.m. ET as planned, concluding a landmark mission that took the crew farther from Earth than any humans in history. Cheers were heard as recovery operations began following the successful return, CNN reports.

The Orion capsule made a controlled descent as its parachutes deployed, guiding it to a precise water landing. NASA officials described the moment as a major milestone after days of anticipation.

“Integrity and her crew of four astronauts flew 700,237 miles, we reached a peak velocity of 24,664 miles per hour, we hit our flight path angle target within 0.4%, we flew an entry range of 1,957 miles, and we landed within less than a mile of our target,” said Rick Henfling, entry flight director in a post-splashdown news conference.

The lunar flyby surpassed the distance achieved during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. NASA confirmed the astronauts had safely concluded their journey and returned to Earth.

Reentry was described as “picture perfect” by Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

“Certainly the sight of those parachutes coming out, that beautiful blue sky, amazing ocean beneath. I mean, it just — it literally looked like you put a cup of tea down on a table,” she told CNN.

After splashdown, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman confirmed the crew’s condition.

“What a journey. We are stable. Four green crew members,” Wiseman said, indicating all four astronauts were in good health.

All crew evacuation operations have now been completed. The successful mission marks a key milestone for NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to advance lunar exploration and prepare for future crewed missions.

By Sabina Mammadli