Artemis II Mission Milestones: An Image and Video Recap
On April 1, 2026, Artemis II embarked on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon, marking the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10.
At their farthest point, the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the farthest distance traveled by man in space and observing the lunar surface like never before.
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly complex missions to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefit, and to prepare for future human missions to Mars.
Relive exciting mission moments through the videos and images shared below.
Geology training in Iceland
To prepare for lunar exploration, the Artemis II crew trained in Iceland’s volcanic terrain.
They practiced their navigation and field geology skills in difficult conditions while working as a team. The astronauts collected rock samples using tools such as hammers, shovels and chisels, and provided feedback to instructors to refine future Artemis training sites.
How to dress for space
The crew trained extensively with NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS), the bright orange spacesuit worn inside the Orion spacecraft during launch and re-entry.
Each suit is custom fitted and includes air, water, food and waste management systems. In an emergency, it can survive up to six days.
The crew practiced the suit’s operations in simulated zero-gravity and pressure environments to confirm performance for deep space travel.
Discussions on the Moon
During the mission, the crew reflected on what the Moon means to them personally and professionally, sharing thoughts shaped by years of training and preparation.
Artemis II Launch: Views from NASA’s Moon Rocket Camera
Enjoy launch views from cameras attached to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. These cameras, developed by NASA, are called Flight Imaging Launch Monitoring Real-time System (FILMRS). They survive some of the harshest environments in vehicle avionics.
Flight Day Highlights
Flight day 1
Flight day 2
Flight day 3
Flight day 4
Flight day 5
Flight day 6
Flight day 7
Flight day 8
Flight day 9
Flight day 10
Return to Earth
How to recover a spaceship
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, NASA and US Navy teams recovered the Orion spacecraft and its crew.
Recovery teams secured the capsule, opened the hatch and helped the astronauts out. The crew was then transported by helicopter to the Navy recovery ship, while Orion was brought back on board to be returned to shore.
See more images on the Artemis II media resource page.
Go/No-Go: NASA’s space toilet explained
The Universal Waste Management System, or space toilet, is an essential on-board system.
During the mission, the crew resolved operational issues to maintain performance in microgravity.
Space-to-space call: NASA Artemis II astronauts and the International Space Station
A historic first took place during the mission: a direct call between a deep space crew and astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Artemis II connected to Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, marking the first ship-to-ship communication of its kind.
Moments around the Moon
Artemis II took the crew 252,756 miles from Earth to its farthest point and traveled a total of 694,481 miles.
The lunar flyby set a new human distance record, surpassing Apollo 13’s record from 1970. The crew observed the Moon more closely than any human before them on a crewed mission.
Moon Joy, courtesy of NASA Artemis II astronauts
With years of training and thousands of experts behind the mission, an unexpected result emerged: lunar joy.
It captured the emotional weight of seeing the Moon up close and the significance of humans returning to deep space.
The crew comes home
Watch the official NASA broadcast as the Artemis II crew crashes into the Pacific Ocean.
Crew returns to Houston
The Artemis II astronauts returned to Ellington Airport in Houston after their historic mission around the Moon.
Artemis II crew press conference
The crew shared their thoughts on their journey, the challenges of deep space flight, and what’s next for Artemis.
The Artemis II mission marks a major breakthrough in human exploration.
The mission demonstrated crew operations in deep space, tested Orion systems with astronauts on board, and set the stage for future lunar missions.
We are just getting started.
NASA is preparing future missions to the South Pole of the Moon.
Work continues on next-generation spacesuits, lunar tools and rovers at Johnson and its related training facilities. Hear Apollo and Artemis astronauts, along with subject matter experts, discuss the challenges of exploring the Moon with an eye toward Mars.
Future Artemis missions will face challenges such as harsh lighting conditions, lunar dust and extreme temperatures as NASA prepares for sustained exploration of the Moon and possible human missions to Mars.
