Artemis II Astronauts Began Journey to Home After Lunar Flyby

Astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II began their return to Earth after completing a busy and historic lunar flyby.

Following a series of scientific observations and milestones, the Orion spacecraft set course for home. 

NASA reported that the capsule was expected to exit the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence at a distance of approximately 41,072 miles, marking the point at which Earth’s gravitational pull became stronger than that of the Moon.

After an intense schedule, the crew was scheduled to take time off duty on Tuesday to rest and recover ahead of the demanding re-entry phase. 

The astronauts were expected to arrive back on Earth on Friday, with the mission set to conclude in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

With the conclusion of the solar eclipse, the mission’s lunar observation phase also came to an end. 

Astronaut Reid Wiseman described the experience as “an absolutely spectacular, magnificent experience,” reflecting on the rare opportunity to witness the event from deep space.

He added humor to the moment, joking that he could use “about 20 new superlatives” to fully capture the experience in the mission’s summary.

The Artemis II mission marked a critical step in NASA’s broader effort to expand human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and pave the way for future missions to the Moon and beyond.