{"id":46902,"date":"2026-04-10T18:15:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=46902"},"modified":"2026-04-10T18:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:15:04","slug":"artemis-ii-splashdown-live-updates-as-nasa-mission-returns-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=46902","title":{"rendered":"Artemis II splashdown live updates as NASA mission returns to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

NASA monitoring weather conditions for splashdown<\/h2>\n
\n

NASA commentator Rob Navias says forecasters are predicting the densest portion of cloud cover in the region will remain closer to the California coast. Out at the splashdown location, roughly 40-50 miles southwest of San Diego, they are predicting broken, scattered clouds, winds of 10 knots and seas of 4 feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will be on recovery ship for crew’s return<\/h2>\n
\n

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will be aboard the USS John P. Murtha for splashdown. The ship is tasked with safely recovering the four astronauts and their billion-dollar spacecraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Four helicopters and six small boats will take part in the crew and capsule recovery after splashdown in the waters of the Pacific.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Orion capsule will be traveling up to 24,000 mph during reentry<\/h2>\n
\n

The Orion capsule carrying the astronauts will be traveling at about 24,000 mph when it hits the top of the atmosphere during reentry. That’s fast enough to fly from New York to London in less than nine minutes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Artemis II crew wakes up for final day of the mission \u2014 61,326 miles from Earth<\/h2>\n
\n

For the final day of their mission, the Artemis II astronauts woke up at 11:35 a.m. ET to the tunes of “Run to the Water” by Live, selected by the crew, and “Free” by Zac Brown Band.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“What a great way to start the day, Houston. Courage and grit. That’ll stick with me and it should stick with all of you all day long,” commander Reid Wiseman said.<\/p>\n

At wake-up time, they were 61,326 miles from Earth.<\/p>\n

A day earlier, NASA shared the crew’s morning playlist on Spotify<\/a>. “Each track was selected by the Moon crew, continuing a tradition that started more than 50 years ago,” NASA wrote on social media.<\/p>\n

Read more and see the list of songs here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

California 8-year-old designed Artemis II’s zero-gravity indicator<\/h2>\n
\n

“Rise,” the plush mission mascot aboard Artemis II, has served an important role as the crew’s zero-gravity indicator during the trip around the moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rise also became a viral sensation, floating through videos and photos from the Artemis II crew, and carried the names submitted to NASA’s “Send Your Name with Artemis” campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\"Artemis<\/span>

\n

The Artemis II crew \u2014 clockwise from left: Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover \u2014 pause for a group photo with their zero-gravity indicator “Rise,” floating at lower right.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

NASA<\/p>\n

<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The adorable plush is the brainchild of 8-year-old Lucas Ye. The California second-grader made sure to include historical references in every part of the plush’s design and ensured it would meet NASA’s strict standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Someday, he says, he hopes to become an astronaut himself.<\/p>\n

Read more about how Rise was designed and developed<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

How to watch Artemis II’s return to Earth<\/h2>\n
\n

CBS News will have live coverage as the Artemis II mission comes to an end after nine days in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n