NASA Artemis II Lunar Flyby Crew Prepares for Earth Splashdown April 10
NASA's Artemis II mission, which launched April 1, 2026 from Florida aboard the Space Launch System rocket, carried four astronauts — Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Weisman — on the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. The crew is preparing to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and splashdown in their Orion spacecraft on April 10, 2026. The mission marked several historic firsts, including the first woman and first person of color to fly a lunar trajectory.
Progressive outlets emphasize the mission's diversity milestones, highlighting Koch as the first woman and Glover as the first person of color to participate in a lunar flyby as significant steps toward inclusion in space exploration.
The factual record confirms Artemis II launched April 1, 2026, completed a crewed lunar flyby — the first since the Apollo era — and is scheduled to return via splashdown on April 10, 2026.
Conservative outlets tend to frame Artemis II as a demonstration of American technological leadership and NASA's capability to reassert U.S. dominance in deep space exploration after a decades-long absence from lunar missions.
The factual record confirms Artemis II launched April 1, 2026, completed a crewed lunar flyby — the first since the Apollo era — and is scheduled to return via splashdown on April 10, 2026.
Four astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft are scheduled to splashdown on April 10, 2026, completing the Artemis II lunar flyby mission.