Artemis II returns: crew awakens for record-speed Earth splashdown

Artemis II’s four astronauts wake for the mission’s final phase, prepping for a high-speed return from a 10‑day lunar cruise. They’re set to reenter at about 25,000 mph and splash down off San Diego around 8:07 p.m. EDT, with NASA’s live coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The heat shield—nearly the same as Artemis I’s and a known risk—will be closely watched as commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen bring the crew home, potentially making them the fastest humans to splash down in the Pacific, recovered by the USS John Murtha.