Artemis II splashdown captures nationwide attention

National Artemis II splashdown captures nationwide attention April 11, 202612:29 PM ET By  Alana Wise NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha. Bill Ingalls/NASA hide caption toggle caption Bill Ingalls/NASA The Artemis II crew made their return to Earth on Friday following the Orion spacecraft's historic 10-day trip around the Moon, capturing the attention of awestruck fans nationwide. In stadiums across the country, Jumbotrons projected the team's successful splashdown into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif. Welcome home, Artemis II!@NASA | #LGM pic.twitter.com/vrpGWj6GHH— New York Mets (@Mets) April 11, 2026 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. Bill Ingalls/NASA hide caption toggle caption Bill Ingalls/NASA Viewers watched in open amazement as the capsule, crewed by commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, parachuted from the skies into the ocean. NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha. Bill Ingalls/NASA hide caption toggle caption Bill Ingalls/NASA Welcome home to our very own Christina Koch from her trip around the moon. 🐺 x 🌔 pic.twitter.com/VhtEm9713s— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 11, 2026 The trip broke the record for farthest space flight ac...