Home bimatz “‘Perfect Bullseye’ Splashdown Stuns the World: Artemis II Crew Nails Precision Return After 10 Days Around the Moon in a Mission Packed With High-Stakes Moments. Behind That Flawless Landing Was a Fiery Re-Entry and Nerve-Shattering Final Descent That Could Have Turned in Seconds. Now, Stunning Photos Reveal the Truth of Those Final Moments — And Just How Close History Came to Taking a Different Turn.”

“‘Perfect Bullseye’ Splashdown Stuns the World: Artemis II Crew Nails Precision Return After 10 Days Around the Moon in a Mission Packed With High-Stakes Moments. Behind That Flawless Landing Was a Fiery Re-Entry and Nerve-Shattering Final Descent That Could Have Turned in Seconds. Now, Stunning Photos Reveal the Truth of Those Final Moments — And Just How Close History Came to Taking a Different Turn.”

bimatz · 11/04/2026 · Comments off

It was a “textbook touchdown” for the four astronauts coming back home on Friday.

A young boy wearing an astronaut costume cheers next to a woman waving a flag as they watch a live broadcast of the return of the Artemis II crew members to Earth at the San Diego Air and Space Museum during a watch party for the crew's splash down in the Pacific Ocean, in San Diego, California, on April 10, 2026. The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down as planned Friday off the California coast, capping the US space agency's successful crewed test mission around the Moon, the first such flyby in more than 50 years. Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that the crewmembers -- himself along with Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen -- were
A young boy wearing an astronaut costume cheers among people watching a live broadcast of Artemis II and its crew returning to Earth at the San Diego Air and Space Museum in San Diego, Calif, on April 10. (Apu Gomes/AFP)

(AFP via Getty Images

Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, wrapping up NASA’s historic journey to the moon in an epic fashion. The 10-day lunar trip, which was the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years, saw four astronauts return home to Earth since taking off on April 1.

NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen successfully landed at 8:07:27 p.m. ET off the coast of San Diego. They plummeted to Earth at more than 38,000 km/h, and were recovered from the Integrity module in excellent shape.

“A new chapter of the exploration of our celestial neighbor is complete,” NASA mission control announced at 8:07 p.m. ET. “Integrity’s astronauts, back on Earth.”

The historic event — a test for future Artemis program missions to get humans on the surface of the moon — saw the astronauts accomplish major milestones in space exploration. That includes the first pictures of our planet since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, setting a new record for the farthest distance from Earth travelled by humans and becoming the first people to experience the dark side of the moon.

Rob Navias, moderator of the NASA livestream on Friday, noted the Artemis II crew achieved a “perfect bullseye splashdown” in the Pacific Ocean, adding “this was a textbook entry and a textbook touchdown.”

Keep scrolling for more striking pictures from the final day of the Artemis II lunar mission and the four-member crew’s return home to Earth.

People look up at the sky during a watch party for the return of NASA's Artemis II in Coronado, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
People look up at the sky during a watch party for the return of NASA’s Artemis II in Coronado, Calif., on Friday, April 10. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

AT SEA - APRIL 10: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by NASA, a U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 departs from the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha as NASA and U.S. military teams deploy in preparation for the the return of the Artemis II crewmembers to Earth, Friday, April 10, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA's Artemis II mission is taking NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen are scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT). (Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)
A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 departs from the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha as NASA and U.S. military teams deploy in preparation for the return of the Artemis II crew members to Earth on Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

(NASA via Getty Images)

AT SEA - APRIL 10: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by NASA, U.S. Navy divers prepare to deploy in small boats from the well deck of USS John P. Murtha to recover Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist and NASA's Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at , NASA and U.S. military teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
U.S. Navy divers prepare to deploy in small boats from the well deck of USS John P. Murtha to recover Artemis II crew members in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Earth is seen through a window of the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from a livestream video after the capsule enters the atmosphere during its re entry to Earth, following the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Earth is seen through a window of the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video after the capsule enters the atmosphere during its re-entry to Earth, following the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)

(via REUTERS / Reuters)

A visualization of the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from a livestream video during the communications blackout period of its re‑entry to Earth following the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
A visualization of the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video during the communications blackout period of its re‑entry to Earth following the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)

(via REUTERS / Reuters)

The first set of parachutes deploys on the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from a livestream video as it descends toward splashdown following its re‑entry to Earth after the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
The first set of parachutes deploys on the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video as it descends toward splashdown following its re‑entry to Earth after the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)

(via REUTERS / Reuters)

Three main parachutes deploy on the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from a livestream video as it descends toward splashdown following its re‑entry to Earth after the Artemis II crew's flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Three main parachutes deploy on the Artemis II crew capsule in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video as it descends toward splashdown following its re‑entry to Earth after the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)

(via REUTERS / Reuters)

AT SEA - APRIL 10: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by NASA, NASA's Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at , NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

AT SEA - APRIL 10: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by NASA, NASA's Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at , NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

AT SEA - APRIL 10: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by NASA, NASA's Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at , NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

The Artemis II crew capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean in this screengrab from a livestream video after the Artemis II crew's flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
The Artemis II crew capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video after the crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)

(via REUTERS / Reuters)

People react as they watch the splash down of the Artemis II crew at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 10, 2026. The NASA spacecraft that carried four astronauts around the Moon splashed down as planned Friday into the Pacific Ocean. The crew members -- Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman -- are to be met by recovery teams and flown to a US military ship for medical evaluations. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
People react as they watch the splashdown of the Artemis II crew at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 10. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

(RONALDO SCHEMIDT via Getty Images)

DOWNEY, CA - APRIL 10: Ben Dickow, rear left, president and executive director of the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, CA and staff member Jared Head cheer on the successful landing of Artemis II during a watch party at the center on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Ben Dickow, rear left, president and executive director of the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, Calif., and staff member Jared Head cheer on the successful landing of Artemis II during a watch party on Friday, April 10. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

(Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag)

NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at 8:07p.m. EDT, NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

(NASA via Getty Images)

A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 flies overhead as small boats approach NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen after landing as recovery teams as NASA’s Landing and Recovery team, along with U.S. Navy personnel in small boats begin to approach the spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT), NASA and U.S. military teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 flies overhead as small boats approach NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen aboard. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

(NASA via Getty Images)

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen as recovery teams work to secure the spacecraft ahead of transferring Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist to USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at 5:07 p.m. PDT(8:07 p.m. EDT), NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen as recovery teams work to secure the spacecraft ahead of transferring Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen to USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 10. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

(NASA via Getty Images

DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: People celebrate during a live broadcast as crew members are recovered from the Orion spacecraft after splashdown during an Artemis II splashdown party at the Columbia Memorial Space Center on April 10, 2026 in Downey, California. NASA's Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II crew members returned from the moon with a dramatic splashdown into the Pacific Ocean today. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
People celebrate during a live broadcast as crew members are recovered from the Orion spacecraft after splashdown during a gathering at the Columbia Memorial Space Center on April 10 in Downey, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Una multitud observa el amerizaje de la cápsula Artemis II Orion frente a la costa de San Diego en el Museo del Aire y el Espacio de San Diego, California, EE.UU., el 10 de abril de 2026. REUTERS/Sandy Huffaker
People react during the Artemis II splashdown during a gathering at the Columbia Memorial Space Center on April 10 in Downey, Calif. (Sandy Huffaker/Reuters)
A boat approaches the Artemis II crew capsule floating in the Pacific Ocean following splashdown in this screengrab from a livestream video after the Artemis II crew's flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
A boat approaches the Artemis II crew capsule floating in the Pacific Ocean following splashdown in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)
A helicopter awaits to transport a crew member to the recovery ship after being extracted from the Artemis II capsule by recovery personnel in the Pacific Ocean in this screengrab from a livestream video after the Artemis II crew's flyby of the Moon, April 10, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
A helicopter awaits to transport a crew member to the recovery ship after being extracted from the Artemis II capsule by recovery personnel in the Pacific Ocean in this screengrab from an April 10 livestream video. (NASA/Handout via Reuters)
A Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 is seen as it lifts NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot as teams work to bring the crewmembers aboard USS John P. Murtha, Friday, April 10, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Glover, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT), NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard the recovery ship. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
A Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 is seen as it lifts NASA astronaut Victor Glover as teams work to bring the crew members aboard USS John P.

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