Artemis II Crew Walks Off Helicopter After Splashdown — Here's What Happens Next

All four Artemis II astronauts made it onto the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha Friday night, stepping off the helicopter one by one after a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen each walked unassisted, though two support personnel followed closely behind each of them in case they needed steadying. On the live stream, viewers could see that the appearance was familiar to anyone who has ever had a foot fall asleep, but in this case it was the slightly deliberate, recalibrating walk of people whose bodies are literally relearning what gravity feels like.

The crew was having a great time. In an interview on the live stream, a member of the Mission Control team said that the Artemis II crew was smiles all around, taking selfies with the medical team, and having animated conversations about what they had seen over the past 10 days. The adrenaline of coming home was evident — which is precisely why each astronaut has their own dedicated nurse conducting evaluations to make sure what they're feeling is genuine health and not just a post-space buzz.

What the Artemis II Medical Team is Checking

After 10 days in microgravity, the human body needs time to readjust. Fluid shifts, bone density changes, muscle deconditioning and cardiovascular adaptation are all standard concerns following spaceflight. The medical team is working through each astronaut individually — helping them out of their suits, checking vital signs and assessing how they're truly feeling beneath the excitement of return. The evaluations will continue aboard the ship before the crew returns to shore and travels to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Big smiles from Christina and Victor on the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, as they waited to be escorted for their routine post-mission medical checks. pic.twitter.com/3KwZFXTLhI

— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2026

What Happens to the Orion Capsule Now That the Artemis II Mission is Complete?

While the crew recovers, the Orion spacecraft is being brought aboard the USS John P. Murtha. Recovery teams are securing the capsule before transporting it to U.S. Naval Base San Diego and ultimately returning it to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There, technicians will conduct a thorough inspection, retrieving onboard data, removing payloads and examining the heat shield that was a known concern heading into the mission.

That data is the next chapter of the Artemis program.

How Does the Data from Artemis II Prepare NASA Astronauts for Artemis III?

Everything the Artemis II crew experienced — every system test, every science observation, every moment of the lunar flyby — was captured and will now be analyzed to shape what comes next. The Artemis III mission, currently targeted for 2027, will launch crew aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon. NASA will announce specifics on the mission design and crew closer to launch.

The road back to the lunar surface runs directly through what happened over the past 10 days. And based on the smiles walking off that helicopter Friday night, the crew that made it possible couldn't be prouder.