Artemis II Crew Completes Lunar Flyby, Begins Return to Earth

The astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission are now on the homeward leg of their journey around the Moon.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:33am

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A vibrant abstract painting in earthy tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs and concentric planetary circles, representing the Artemis II spacecraft's journey around the Moon.The Artemis II spacecraft's historic journey around the Moon marks a major milestone in humanity's return to lunar exploration.Houston Today

A day after passing over the far side of the Moon, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission is now on the return leg of its journey, with the pace of activity slowing as they accelerate back toward Earth. The four astronauts - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency - spoke with colleagues aboard the International Space Station, discussing the unique perspective of seeing the Earth from the Moon's orbit.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical step toward NASA's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface, with the Artemis program aiming to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon. The successful completion of this lunar flyby marks a major milestone, providing valuable data and experience for future Artemis missions.

The details

After passing over the far side of the Moon, the Artemis II spacecraft, named Integrity, left the sphere of lunar influence and is now accelerating back toward Earth. The crew conducted a 12-minute conversation with astronauts aboard the International Space Station, discussing the different perspective of seeing the Earth from the Moon's orbit. The astronauts also reported observing several meteors impacting the lunar surface, which mission scientists are now analyzing.

  • On Tuesday at 1:23 PM Eastern time, the Artemis II spacecraft left the sphere of lunar influence.
  • The Artemis II crew is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

The players

Reid Wiseman

An astronaut with NASA, part of the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

An astronaut with NASA, part of the Artemis II crew.

Christina Koch

An astronaut with NASA, part of the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

An astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, part of the Artemis II crew.

Jessica Meir

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station, who spoke with the Artemis II crew.

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What they’re saying

“I found myself noticing not only the beauty of the Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special.”

— Christina Koch, Astronaut

“Jessica, I always hoped we would be in space again together, but I never thought it would be like this.”

— Christina Koch, Astronaut

“So everything we do essentially starts with a spatial conflict.”

— Victor Glover, Astronaut

“Jeremy turns around to us and goes, 'I'm not sure — I think we're going to run right into it.'”

— Reid Wiseman, Astronaut

“We ran to the far end of the space station when you guys were on the other side, so that we could claim we were the furthest away from you in that moment.”

— Jessica Meir, Astronaut

What’s next

The Artemis II crew will continue their journey back to Earth, with a scheduled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday. Scientists on the ground will analyze the data and imagery sent back from the mission, which includes observations of meteor impacts on the lunar surface.

The takeaway

The successful completion of the Artemis II lunar flyby represents a major milestone for NASA's Artemis program, providing valuable experience and data that will inform future missions to the Moon. The unique perspective of seeing the Earth from lunar orbit underscores the significance of this journey, as humanity continues to push the boundaries of space exploration.