Artemis II Crew Returns to Houston After Historic Moon Voyage

NASA's Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in the agency's plans to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the moon.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 7:10am

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A bold, abstract painting in earthy tones featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts of space exploration.The successful Artemis II mission paves the way for future crewed lunar landings, marking a new era of human space exploration.Houston Today

The Artemis II crew, including Commander Reid Wiseman, returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday after a successful 10-day mission orbiting the moon. The astronauts held a press conference to share their impressions and experiences from the historic voyage.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the moon. This crewed lunar flyby paves the way for future Artemis missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era.

The details

The Artemis II crew safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday after completing their 10-day journey around the moon. On Saturday, they returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they held a press conference to recount their experiences. Commander Reid Wiseman expressed his awe at the mission, saying 'I have no idea what to say' about the historic voyage.

  • The Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 11, 2026.
  • The astronauts returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 12, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

The commander of the Artemis II mission and one of the astronauts who traveled around the moon.

NASA

The United States space agency that oversees the Artemis program and the Artemis II mission.

Johnson Space Center

NASA's primary human spaceflight laboratory, located in Houston, Texas, where the Artemis II crew returned after their mission.

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What they’re saying

“I have no idea what to say.”

— Reid Wiseman, Commander, Artemis II mission

What’s next

The Artemis II mission paves the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo program.

The takeaway

The successful Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in NASA's ambitious Artemis program, bringing the agency one step closer to establishing a sustainable human presence on and around the moon.