General · 10 April 2026
Artemis crew ready for fiery Pacific splashdown
The Artemis II crew faces a critical 15-minute fiery descent as their Orion capsule returns to Earth. They are expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, around 8.07pm ET today. NASA has expressed high confidence in the spacecraft's heat shield, which must protect the astronauts from temperatures reaching up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs