Artemis II Splash Down: What to Expect When the Astronauts Land
After 10 days in space — breaking the all-time record for how far humans have traveled from Earth, witnessing a solar eclipse from behind the Moon, and capturing images of our planet that will be studied for years — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are on their final approach to Earth tonight.
At 2:53 p.m. ET, the Orion spacecraft completed its final burn. Thrusters fired for 8 seconds, producing a change in velocity of 4.2 feet per second and locking the capsule onto its reentry trajectory. The crew then shifted into entry checklist procedures, configuring the cabin for what comes next.
When is Artemis II Splashdown and What Happens When The Astronauts Land?
Splashdown is targeted for 8:07 p.m. ET (5:07 p.m. PT) off the coast of San Diego. NASA's recovery team is already standing by.
Reentry is the most dangerous phase of the mission. The Orion capsule will plunge back into Earth's atmosphere at approximately 25,000 miles per hour, with the exterior heating to more than 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A heat shield — the same design that returned with concerning damage after the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 — stands between the crew and those temperatures. NASA has modified the reentry trajectory to account for the known heat shield issue and maintains the crew will return safely.
Wake up—it's Artemis II's last day in space!
— NASA (@NASA) April 10, 2026
As the crew prepares to splash down in the Pacific Ocean this evening, they started their day with "Run To The Water" by Live, their wake-up song played by Mission Control. pic.twitter.com/AKGFIcB05m
Once through reentry, parachutes will deploy to slow the capsule's descent before it hits the water off San Diego. NASA recovery teams and Department of Defense personnel will be on standby to assist the crew out of the Orion capsule and transport them to the USS John P. Murtha. Once aboard the ship, the astronauts will undergo post-mission medical evaluations before traveling back to shore and ultimately to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
A diver will also photograph the heat shield from below immediately upon recovery — providing mission managers their first look at how it performed during reentry.
How to Watch Artemis II Splashdown Live
Live coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET and is available on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock and Roku. Coverage continues until the crew has been safely assisted out of Orion and transported to the USS John P. Murtha. NASA's YouTube channel will also carry the full live stream. For real-time updates follow @NASAArtemis on X, Facebook and Instagram.