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‘Welcome home, Integrity’: Artemis II crew safely returned to Earth after ‘bullseye landing’ to cap historic moon mission

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The Artemis II crew have safely landed in the Pacific Ocean after a historic flight around the moon. Take a look back at our live blog’s launch coverage from the hours and seconds until splashdown.

Artemis II's Orion capsule floating down into the Pacific Ocean
Artemis II’s Orion capsule floats down to the Pacific Ocean. (Image credit: © NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Here’s the latest on the final stage of the Artemis II mission:

    What goes up

    NASA's Orion capsule captured this footage of its reentry to Earth's atmosphere on Dec. 11, 2022, at the end of the Artemis 1 moon mission.

    Footage from NASA’s Artemis I Orion capsule as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere on Dec. 11, 2022. (Image credit: NASA)

    Good morning, science fans! We’re back to cover the nail-biting final stage of the Artemis II mission, which has seen a four-astronaut crew embark on a 685,000-mile (1.1 million kilometers), 10-day journey around the moon and back.

    The crew — consisting of commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — have captivated millions around the world with their voyage, beaming back stunning images, scientific insights, laughter and some tears as they made history and laid the groundwork for humanity’s return to the moon.

     

    Now all they have to do is return home safely.

    With their reentry at record-breaking speeds through Earth’s atmosphere just hours away, Live Science will be following every moment of this perilous finale to their journey, bringing you breaking updates and expert commentary. Let’s see them home.

    Ben Turner
    Ben Turner

    Feeling the heat

    A photo of the Artemis I Orion capsule in the ocean after splashdown.

    NASA discovered a heat shield issue on the Artemis I Orion capsule after it splashed down in 2022. (Image credit: NASA)

    The speed at which the Artemis II crew will return to Earth is set to be record-breaking — hitting the top of the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 kilometers per hour).

    To dissipate all that energy and arrive at a much more reasonable 20 mph (32 km/h) splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, the Orion capsule will use two key pieces of technology: parachutes and a heat shield.

     

    Artemis II’s heat shield is designed to protect the crew and slow their capsule by heating up to temperatures of around 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit).

    Yet it has a problem: It is almost exactly the same as Artemis I’s heat shield, and that infamously cracked upon reentry.

    That will make this coming stage of the mission among the most dangerous.

    But while they have confessed to harboring “irrational” doubts, NASA officials have said they’re not worried. Why? Check out Patrick’s story here for the full answer.