How to watch the Artemis II astronauts return to Earth

After making a high-speed re-entry through the atmosphere, the capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

by Andrew J. Hawkins

Apr 10, 2026, 8:08 PM UTC

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Artemis II Launches Manned Test Flight Around The Moon

The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)

NASA via Getty Images

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Andrew J. Hawkins is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.

The Orion capsule, carrying Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is expected to land back to Earth after a nine-day mission that set a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from our planet.

After making a high-speed re-entry through the atmosphere, the capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at approximately 5:07PM PT / 8:07PM ET. Navy recovery crews will bring the astronauts to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks before they helicopter back to land.

Re-entry is unquestionably the riskiest part of spaceflight, but that is especially true for Artemis II because of the Orion capsule’s heat shield. The critical layer that protects astronauts from extreme temperatures has a known design flaw, having sustained unexpected damage during the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022.

The splash down will be livestreamed on NASA’s official YouTube channel. All major news channels, Netflix, and others will broadcast the landing starting at 6:30PM ET.

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