San Diego is gearing up to be the focal point of the world’s attention as the Artemis II crew splashes down about 60 miles off the coast Friday, just after 5 p.m.

The four-person crew lifted off April 1 aboard the Orion Integrity spacecraft, marking the first crewed flight beyond Earth orbit since 1972. Their return will be streamed live by NASA for viewers around the world, and several local venues are hosting watch parties.

The San Diego Air and Space Museum is hosting a watch party inside its pavilion, where NASA’s live feed will be streamed from re-entry through parachute deployment, splashdown and recovery. Museum officials expect a large crowd. Tickets are half off for anyone who arrives after 4 p.m.

“We’re going to be the focal point of the world looking to say, hey, they’re back. They’re safe,” spokesperson David Neville said.

“We’re going to show a live stream of the NASA feed… from re‑entry to parachute deployment, splashdown, and the recovery efforts everyone’s been training for,” Neville added. “We really want everybody here to experience this with us.”

Across Balboa Park, the Fleet Science Center’s dome watch party is sold out, but its Artemis II pop-up exhibit remains open through the weekend, with screens set up to show the splashdown. The exhibit traveled from Kennedy Space Center, where it was originally displayed for the launch. NASA employees, including Cat Toon, will be on-site to speak with visitors.

“This was set up at Kennedy Space Center for launch… then we loaded it up, trucked it over here, and now we’re set up here,” Toon said.

“It’s gonna be a bad pun, but just over the moon… to watch history unfold and say I even had a small part in it is truly humbling,” she added.

For a more casual viewing option, the Hotel del Coronado is hosting a free, public watch party on its sun deck, temporarily renamed the “Moon Deck,” with added screens and a special cocktail.

“We’re adding screens to the moon deck… and featuring a special cocktail called the Splash Down, just to have a fun moment while we look to the skies,” a hotel representative said.

NASA will stream the full splashdown live online.