Four astronauts from NASA’s Artemis II mission have safely returned to Earth after completing a record-breaking journey around the Moon. The Orion spacecraft carrying them splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 6:07 a.m. Bangladesh time on April 11, 2026. The mission marked the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, covering 694,481 miles in total. The spacecraft had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 2.

Following splashdown, Navy divers and helicopters surrounded the capsule to begin recovery operations. NASA confirmed all astronauts were in good health, describing their condition as “green.” The crew was airlifted to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks, including pulse, blood pressure, and neurological assessments. NASA officials reported that the capsule’s recovery followed years of testing and prior Artemis-1 rehearsals.

NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya called the mission “a gift to the world,” while Orion Program Manager Howard Hu described it as the beginning of a new era in human space exploration. NASA said the mission exceeded expectations and demonstrated the success of extensive teamwork.