Editor\u2019s Note: This blog was updated on April 9, 2026, to update the times for key splashdown milestones.<\/p>\n
On their last full day in space, the Artemis II<\/a> crew began the morning with \u201cLonesome Drifter\u201d by Charley Crockett as they approached Earth at 147,337 miles.<\/p>\n NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman<\/a>, Victor Glover<\/a>, and Christina Koch<\/a>, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen<\/a> will continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, including reviewing re-entry and splashdown procedures and conducting a return trajectory correction burn.<\/p>\n Cabin configuration for re-entry<\/p>\n Koch and Hansen will begin by stowing equipment they have had out during the mission, removing cargo and locker netting, installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are secured before their return to Earth. As part of the day\u2019s activities, the crew will review the latest weather briefing, recovery force status, and entry timeline. Throughout the day, they also will work through post\u2011landing operations. <\/p>\n Another push home<\/p>\n Orion\u2019s thrusters are scheduled to ignite for the second return trajectory correction burn at 9:53 p.m. EDT to fine\u2011tune the spacecraft\u2019s path toward Earth. The maneuver will further refine Orion\u2019s trajectory and ensure the spacecraft remains aligned for atmospheric re-entry. During the burn, Hansen will review the procedure steps and monitor Orion\u2019s guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.<\/p>\n Preparing for splashdown<\/p>\n As Artemis II nears its return to Earth, NASA teams on the ground are completing final preparations for Orion\u2019s re-entry and splashdown around 8:07 p.m. (5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, off the coast of San Diego. <\/p>\n The agency will continue to provide updates about the test flight during the daily mission briefing. Today\u2019s mission status briefing is at 3:30 p.m. and will stream on NASA\u2019s 24\/7 coverage on the agency\u2019s YouTube<\/a> channel.<\/p>\n During re-entry, the service module will separate around 7:33 p.m., about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. At 7:37 p.m., a final trajectory\u2011adjustment burn will fine\u2011tune the flight path before the spacecraft begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from departing hardware. Orion will reach its maximum velocity \u2014 approximately 23,864 mph \u2014 just before entry interface.<\/p>\n As Orion descends through about 400,000 feet, the spacecraft will enter a planned six\u2011minute communications blackout at 7:53 p.m. as plasma forms around the capsule during peak heating. The crew is expected to experience up to 3.9 Gs in a nominal landing profile.<\/p>\n After emerging from blackout, Orion will jettison its forward bay cover, deploy its drogue parachutes near 22,000 feet at 8:03 p.m., and then unfurl its three main parachutes around 6,000 feet at 8:04 p.m. to slow the capsule for splashdown off the coast of San Diego.<\/p>\n Within two hours after splashdown, the crew will be extracted from Orion and flown to the USS John P. Murtha. Recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters, and once aboard the ship, the astronauts will undergo post\u2011mission medical evaluations before returning to shore to board an aircraft bound for NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n Watch\u00a0live return coverage on\u00a0NASA+<\/a>,\u202fAmazon Prime<\/a>,\u00a0Apple TV<\/a>,\u00a0Netflix<\/a>,\u00a0HBO\u00a0Max<\/a>,\u00a0Discovery+<\/a>, Peacock<\/a> and\u00a0Roku<\/a>\u00a0starting at\u00a06:30 p.m. Learn how to\u202fstream NASA content<\/a>\u202fthrough a variety of online platforms, including social media. Coverage will continue until NASA and Department of War personnel safely assist the crew out of Orion and transport them to the USS Murtha.<\/p>\n View the latest imagery from the Artemis II mission on our Artemis II Multimedia Resource Page<\/a>. Please follow @NASAArtemis on X<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a> for real-time updates. Live mission coverage is available on NASA\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n More from Missions