NASA’s Artemis II astronauts have safely returned to Earth after completing a historic mission around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar journey in more than 50 years.
The four-member crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California after a 10-day trip that took them farther from Earth than any humans in history.
NASA described the mission as a major step toward future Moon landings and deep space exploration.
“This is just the beginning,” mission officials said, highlighting the importance of the flight for future missions.
The astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — traveled more than 690,000 miles during the mission and reached a record distance of over 250,000 miles from Earth.
During the journey, the crew carried out tests on the Orion spacecraft and gathered important data to prepare for longer missions.
NASA said the return to Earth was one of the most dangerous parts of the mission, as the capsule re-entered the atmosphere at high speed and extreme temperatures before deploying parachutes for a safe landing.
The astronauts were reported to be in good health after recovery by a U.S. Navy team.
Officials say the mission will help pave the way for Artemis III, which aims to land humans on the Moon in the coming years.
The Artemis program is part of NASA’s long-term plan to establish a human presence on the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.
