🚀 Artemis II Splashdown — TODAY! April 10, 2026
⏱️ Splashdown Countdown (EDT)
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🎉 Splashdown Achieved! Watch the recovery live below. 🔴
⏰ Splashdown Time — CONFIRMED
The Artemis II crew will splash down off San Diego at:
🕗 8:08 PM EDT 🕔 5:08 PM PDT 📅 Friday, April 10, 2026
The Artemis II crew will splash down off San Diego at:
🕗 8:08 PM EDT 🕔 5:08 PM PDT 📅 Friday, April 10, 2026
🌏 Time Conversion
| Time Zone | Splashdown Time |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 EDT (New York) | 8:08 PM |
| 🇺🇸 PDT (San Diego/LA) | 5:08 PM |
| 🇮🇳 IST (India) | April 11 — 5:38 AM |
| 🇬🇧 BST (UK) | April 11 — 1:08 AM |
| 🇦🇺 AEST (Sydney) | April 11 — 10:08 AM |
📋 Mission Summary
Launched April 1, 2026 on NASA's SLS rocket, Orion traveled 695,081 miles on this historic crewed lunar flyby.
| 🚀 Launch | April 1, 2026 — 6:35 PM EDT |
| 👨🚀 Commander | Reid Wiseman |
| 👨🚀 Pilot | Victor Glover |
| 👩🚀 Mission Specialist | Christina Koch |
| 👨🚀 Mission Specialist | Jeremy Hansen (CSA) |
| 📍 Splashdown | Pacific Ocean — off San Diego |
| 🌕 Moon Approach | 4,067 miles from surface |
| 🌍 Max Distance | 252,760 miles — new human record |
🔴 Re-entry: Most Dangerous Phase
Orion returns at 34,965 ft/sec (~38,700 km/h). Heat shield faces ~5,000°F.
| 🌡️ Entry Speed | 34,965 ft/sec |
| 🔥 Heat Shield | ~2,760°C (5,000°F) |
| 📡 Comms Blackout | ~40 minutes |
| 🪂 Parachutes | Drogue + main chute sequence |
| 🚁 Recovery | USS John P. Murtha + Navy helicopters |
🔄 After Splashdown
Within 2 hours, crew extracted → flown to USS John P. Murtha → medical evals → transport to Johnson Space Center, Houston.
📺 Watch Live
🔴 NASA YouTube • 📺 NASA TV • 📱 NASA App • 📡 PBS NewsHour
🎉 Historic Achievement: Artemis II broke the record for farthest humans from Earth (surpassing Apollo 13's 56-year record) and marks the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. Splashdown times and mission details are based on NASA public communications and are subject to change due to weather or operational factors. Always refer to official NASA sources for real-time updates. Views expressed are not necessarily those of NASA or its partners.
🔗 Learn more: NASA Artemis II | ESA | Canadian Space Agency
