The eyes of the world are on a patch of the Pacific Ocean today as four astronauts prepare to plummet through the atmosphere and end their historic journey to the moon.
After nine days in space and traveling farther from Earth than any humans in history, the Artemis II crew is scheduled to hit the water near San Diego at 8:07 p.m. ET.
Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen spent their final hours in orbit snapping photos of Earth from their windows. Using iPhones to capture the view from 40,000 miles away, the crew shared the images with Mission Control via a cabin video feed. “We’re going to need a copy of that photo when you guys get back,” a ground controller told the team.
The return is a high-stakes physics challenge. The Orion capsule, named Integrity, will slam into the upper atmosphere at roughly 24,000 mph—a speed that could cover the distance from New York to London in under nine minutes. This velocity will generate friction and heat reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly half the temperature of the sun’s surface.
READ: Far Side First Look: Artemis II Crew Captures Rare Solar Eclipse And Unseen Lunar Vistas
NASA officials confirmed they have “high confidence” in the spacecraft’s heat shield, which was modified following the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022. “We have high confidence in the system, in the heat shield and the parachutes and the recovery systems we put together,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.
As of Friday afternoon, the spacecraft had completed its final eight-second thruster burn to line up its path toward the landing zone. NASA reports the ship is in “great shape” and all systems are functioning perfectly. Weather conditions at the splashdown site, located about 50 miles southwest of San Diego, are favorable, with scattered clouds, light winds, and four-foot seas.
The recovery operation is already in motion. The USS John P. Murtha is waiting on-site with a team of six small boats and four helicopters.
READ: Beyond The Dark: Artemis II Crew Witnesses The Moon’s Hidden Face Today
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is also aboard the naval vessel to witness the recovery. Once the capsule hits the water, recovery teams will secure the craft and transport the astronauts to the ship for immediate medical evaluations before they are flown back to land.
The crew began their final day in space at 11:35 a.m. ET, waking up to the songs “Run to the Water” by Live and “Free” by Zac Brown Band while they were still over 60,000 miles from home. “What a great way to start the day, Houston,” Commander Wiseman radioed back. “Courage and grit. That’ll stick with me.”
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