Artemis II astronauts return to Earth, capping historic NASA mission, in photos
Apr 1, 2026, 4:46 PM | Updated: Apr 11, 2026, 3:18 pm
In this photo provided by NASA, the Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers aboard approaches the surface of the Pacific Ocean for splashdown off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)
The Artemis II astronauts are back on Earth. The three Americans and one Canadian returned with a dramatic splashdown Friday evening, as their capsule parachuted into the Pacific to close out a nearly 10-day trip to the moon and back. The crew was the first to visit the moon since NASA’s Apollo era more than a half-century ago.
___
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Please follow our Community Guidelines
