NASA's Artemis II Spacecraft Heads Back to Earth After Moon Mission

The public can watch the Orion spacecraft's return via a telescope livestream tonight.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 9:23pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly structured abstract painting in earthy tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric planetary circles, and precise orbital spirals, conceptually representing the Artemis II spacecraft's journey around the Moon and back to Earth.The dramatic return of NASA's Artemis II spacecraft to Earth, captured in a bold, abstract visual representation of its complex lunar orbit and fiery re-entry.San Diego Today

NASA's Artemis II Orion spacecraft is preparing to make its return to Earth following a 10-day mission around the Moon. The public can watch the spacecraft's journey back home via a Virtual Telescope Project livestream tonight, as it appears as a 'faint, fast-moving point of light' against the stars. Artemis II is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on the evening of April 10.

Why it matters

Artemis II is a crucial step towards NASA's long-term goals of returning humans to the Moon and eventually sending missions to Mars. The successful completion of this mission will pave the way for future Artemis program flights that aim to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

The details

Artemis II successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1 and embarked on its 10-day journey around the Moon. During the mission, the crew made some nods to the novel Project Hail Mary and surpassed the previous record for the farthest distance traveled by humans, set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

  • Artemis II is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on the evening of Friday, April 10.
  • The Virtual Telescope Project livestream will begin at 7:45pm PT / 10:45pm ET on April 9 and 2:45am GMT on April 10.

The players

Gianluca Masi

An astrophysicist who will host the Virtual Telescope Project livestream of Artemis II's return to Earth.

NASA

The U.S. space agency that is leading the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually send missions to Mars.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Artemis II will appear as a faint, fast-moving point of light against the background stars.”

— Gianluca Masi, Astrophysicist

What’s next

After a successful splashdown, the Artemis II crew will be recovered, and NASA will assess the mission data to inform the planning for future Artemis program flights, including the Artemis III mission that aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission represents a significant milestone in NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there. The public will have the opportunity to witness the spacecraft's dramatic return to Earth via a live telescope feed, providing a unique vantage point to observe this historic event.