NASA’s Artemis II nears earth return after historic record-breaking lunar mission

WASHINGTON: NASA has announced a major milestone in human spaceflight, on Friday, confirming that its Artemis II mission successfully launched on April 1 and is now nearing the end of its historic journey.

In a post on X, the agency stated that the spacecraft flew around the Moon and is on track to return to Earth, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 8:07 p.m. ET on April 10.

"We can’t wait to welcome them back to our little oasis in space," the post added.

The mission has drawn global attention as it marks humanity’s return to deep space exploration beyond low Earth orbit after more than five decades. NASA described the journey as one that has taken astronauts farther than any human has ever travelled, highlighting its importance in paving the way for future lunar exploration.

Earlier during the mission, the four-member crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — set a new record by travelling 248,655 miles from Earth, eventually reaching about 252,756 miles at the farthest point of their journey. This achievement surpasses the previous record set during the Apollo 13 mission, establishing a new benchmark in human space exploration.