Artemis II due back on Earth on Friday

The Artemis II crew are headed home. The crew has flown around the Moon, and they are officially on their journey back to Earth.

The mission is scheduled to return on Friday, April 10, at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT.

The Orion capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California. The amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha from the U.S. Navy will serve as the recovery ship for the Orion spacecraft and its crew.

The Artemis II mission is the first crewed flight of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The four astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, are on an approximately 10-day journey. Orion will be pulled back naturally by Earth’s gravity for the free return portion of the mission.