Artemis II Returns: Where, When and How to Watch

The Orion capsule carrying NASA’s Artemis II crew will re‑enter the atmosphere from its 10‑day lunar journey and splash down near San Diego.

• Re‑entry time: ~4:54 p.m., roughly 400,000 ft above sea level.
• Splashdown window: ~5:07 p.m., 50–60 mi west of San Diego.
• Sonic boom: Residents along the coast may hear a sound that could shake windows.

Cloud cover is expected, so a clear view of the capsule and its 11 parachutes is unlikely.
After landing, the four astronauts—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian specialist Jeremy Hansen—will be extracted by a recovery team from the USS John P. Murtha, a San Diego‑based warship. The ship will pick up the crew and transport them by helicopter to Naval Air Station North Island, after which they will fly to Houston on a jet.

Live coverage:

• Start tuning in at 3:30 p.m.
• NASA will stream the entire process on its website and social media channels.
• Major platforms (Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max) will also provide live coverage.