The Artemis II astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, completing the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years. The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 5:07pm local time after a high-speed re-entry that tested the capsule's heat shield against temperatures reaching 2,760 degrees Celsius.

The crew, consisting of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, spent ten days traveling further from Earth than any humans since the Apollo era. The mission achieved several historic milestones, including the first woman, person of colour, and non-American to travel around the Moon.

While the crew experienced a brief communication blackout during the 13-minute descent through the atmosphere, contact was restored once the parachutes deployed. Nasa officials confirmed the astronauts are in good condition and that the mission provides essential data for the Artemis IV lunar landing mission. Following their extraction, commander Reid Wiseman reflected on the beauty of Earth as seen from space, urging a global appreciation for the planet.

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