San Diego Air and Space Museum to Host Artemis II Splashdown Watch Party

Guests can enjoy hands-on space activities and watch the live broadcast of Orion's return to Earth.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 8:33pm

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A bold, abstract painting in earthy tones of ochre, sage, and indigo, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric planetary circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the structural order and technical forces of the Artemis II mission.The San Diego Air and Space Museum's Artemis II splashdown watch party celebrates humanity's return to the Moon with a vibrant, scientific visualization of the mission's technical complexity and cosmic grandeur.San Diego Today

The San Diego Air and Space Museum is hosting a watch party on April 10th to celebrate the anticipated return of NASA's Artemis II mission, which will send humans to lunar orbit for the first time since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission. The event starts at 4 p.m., and guests will gather in the museum's Pavilion of Flight at least one hour before the splashdown to watch the live broadcast of the Orion spacecraft's return.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a significant milestone in the renewed effort to send humans back to the Moon, and the San Diego Air and Space Museum's watch party provides a unique opportunity for the local community to engage with and celebrate this historic event.

The details

The museum's Artemis II watch party will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including chocolate heat shield experiments, parachute and safe-landing challenges, stomp rocket launches, robotics and engineering builds, 3D pen design creations, and blackout poetry inspired by space communications. Guests will also be able to view a model of the 8.5-foot-tall Space Launch System rocket.

  • The Artemis II mission is expected to return with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026.
  • The watch party at the San Diego Air and Space Museum will start at 4 p.m. on April 10, 2026.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

San Diego Air and Space Museum

A museum located in San Diego, California that focuses on aviation and space exploration, featuring exhibits, educational programs, and events related to these topics.

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What’s next

The Artemis II mission is expected to return to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026, and the San Diego Air and Space Museum's watch party will provide an opportunity for the local community to witness this historic event.

The takeaway

The San Diego Air and Space Museum's Artemis II splashdown watch party is a chance for the public to engage with and celebrate the latest milestone in NASA's efforts to return humans to the Moon, showcasing the museum's role in inspiring the next generation of space explorers.