Artemis 2 Live: Orion Crew Entering Earth's Atmosphere Now, Splashdown Target 8:07 p.m. ET Tonight
This is a rapidly developing live event. As of Saturday, April 11, 2026 ET, NASA's Artemis II mission is in its final moments. The Orion spacecraft named Integrity is returning to Earth after a historic 10-day lunar flyby mission — the first crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Artemis 2 Splashdown: What Is Happening Right Now
The Artemis II crew — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — are returning to Earth after a 695,081-mile journey around the Moon. Splashdown is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET off the coast of San Diego, California.
Orion completed its third and final trajectory correction burn earlier Friday, putting the spacecraft on course for a precise splashdown in the Pacific Ocean approximately 60 miles off the coast of San Diego. The crew have suited up in their spacesuits and are strapped in for atmospheric reentry.
The Artemis II crew entered Earth's atmosphere at roughly 24,000 miles per hour at approximately 7:53 p.m. ET, entering a six-minute communications blackout as plasma formed around the capsule during peak heating. NASA has reestablished communications with Orion following the blackout, with the spacecraft now descending under parachutes.
Reentry Timeline and What the Crew Is Experiencing
At around 22,000 feet in altitude, the drogue parachutes deployed to slow and stabilize the capsule. At around 6,000 feet, the drogues released and three main parachutes deployed, reducing Orion's speed to less than 136 mph. At 8:07 p.m. ET, slowing to 20 mph, Orion is targeted to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
During reentry, the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft endures temperatures of around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit — half as hot as the visible surface of the sun. The crew will experience nearly four Gs pressing into their chests during the descent. Immediately after splashdown, two recovery personnel will dive into the ocean to photograph the heat shield.
NASA has updated its maximum speed prediction for Artemis II to 24,661.21 mph. The Orion will enter the discernible atmosphere about 75 miles above the Pacific Ocean, and the heat shield will be under extreme scrutiny — engineers want to assess its performance to inform changes for future Artemis missions.
Historic Records Set During the Artemis 2 Mission
The Artemis II crew surpassed the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. Apollo 13 reached 248,655 miles; Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,760 miles, surpassing the record by approximately 4,105 miles.
The four astronauts were stunned by how smooth launch day went on April 1. Pilot Victor Glover said from space, "It was surprising. We like to say that we're prepared without having an expectation — but, in the back of your mind, you kind of hope you launch." Liftoff took place at 6:35 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B in Florida.
One of the most emotional moments of the mission came when Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen suggested that a lunar crater be named after fellow crew member Reid Wiseman's late wife Carroll. "It's a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call it 'Carroll,'" Hansen said, holding back tears, during the crew's flyby of the Moon on April 6.
How to Watch Artemis 2 Splashdown Live Tonight
Live return coverage is streaming on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock, and Roku starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Following splashdown, recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters and deliver them to the USS John P. Murtha for medical evaluations before they return to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA has set strict go conditions for splashdown, including wave heights below six feet, winds under 28.7 mph, and no rain or lightning within a 30-nautical-mile radius. Artemis II marks the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972 that NASA and the Department of Defense are recovering a crewed spacecraft returning from the Moon.
