Everything You Need To Know About When And How To Tune In For Artemis II’s Historic Splashdown
The stakes will be high on Friday, April 10, as NASA’s Artemis II mission brings its crew of four through the Earth’s atmosphere for a splashdown off the coast of California.
During their 10-day mission, the crew went around the Moon — something humans hadn’t done since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 — observing its far side during a solar eclipse.
While on that stunning flyby, the crew saw even set a new record for sending humans the furthest into space, besting Apollo 13’s record from 1970 by 4,101 miles, for a total distance of 252,756 miles from Earth.
They also shared with the world some inspirational musings and statements on faith, as well as some heartfelt moments. There wasn’t a dry eye in space or on Earth when the crew named a crater after its commander’s late wife, Carroll.
Now, it’s time to come back to Earth.
The eyes of the nation, as well as the world, will be on their return.
At 7:53 p.m. EST on April 10, the Artemis II mission’s Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere, with the capsule expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California, at 8:07 p.m. EST.
This can be viewed on NASA’s YouTube channel, in addition to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and HBO Max.
Much of the immediate future of humanity’s involvement in space is reliant upon this mission’s success, with the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions planned for 2027 and 2028, respectively.
See more on the crew’s daring return to Earth, below…
Watch the ongoing live mission coverage, here:
The U.S. Navy Is Preparing For The Astronauts To Splashdown On Friday
In preparation for the return of the Artemis II mission — which will see the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California — the United States Navy has been conducting drills for months.
NASA details the following of reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere:
“The crew module will separate from the service module, whose engines have steered them around the Moon and back to Earth. This will expose the crew module’s heat shield, which will protect the spacecraft and crew as they make their way back through Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures of up about 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.”
From there, a set of parachutes will deploy to lower the capsule’s speed to approximately 307 mph. Another six parachutes will be deployed during the descent, bringing the capsule to approximately 17 mph for a splashdown.
Integrity is expected to splash down 50 to 60 miles from San Diego, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Divers with the U.S.S. John P. Murtha will be on-site to assist with moving the crew from the capsule to the amphibious transport dock ship.
Speaking with Good Morning San Diego on Nexstar’s KUSI on April 7, former U.S. Navy diver Thomas McConnell detailed what the divers will do when the capsule has settled in the water, noting, “If you’re training for this and you’ve done this work for so many months, this is your moment, this is your time to shine.”
As they approach Integrity, they will inspect the surrounding water for any dangerous chemicals or spilled fuel, McConnell said. Further, they will determine how stable the capsule is before it gets airlifted out of the water.
Meanwhile, the crew of Integrity will receive medical attention aboard the U.S.S. John P. Murtha before arriving on shore and taking a flight to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
This is a developing story.