The crewed lunar mission - featuring astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - marks the first time in more than 50 years that humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit toward the Moon. Their return is expected shortly after 5pm on Friday, April 10, bringing global attention directly to San Diego’s shores.
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| The Artemis II Astronauts with eclipse protecting glasses. |
The recovery operation will be led by the USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), a San Diego-based Navy vessel that has been conducting training exercises off the local coast in recent weeks. Residents may have already spotted the massive amphibious transport dock offshore as crews prepared for the complex retrieval process.
Once the Orion capsule splashes down, Navy divers and helicopter teams will secure the spacecraft and transport the astronauts aboard the ship for initial medical evaluation and debriefing. The operation represents a critical test for future Artemis missions, which aim to establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon.
The Artemis II launched successfully on April 1, at 6:35pm EDT from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending a crewed Orion spacecraft on a multi-day journey around the Moon and back. Unlike the uncrewed Artemis I test flight, Artemis II carried the four astronauts on a free-return trajectory that looped around the far side of the Moon before heading back to Earth without entering lunar orbit. The mission was designed to test life-support systems, navigation, communication, and crew operations in deep space, while also demonstrating the spacecraft’s ability to safely transport humans farther from Earth than any mission since the Apollo era.
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| A photo of the earth setting captured by the Artemis II crew on April 6. |
For those hoping to follow the mission in real time, NASA is offering several ways to track the splashdown as it happens. The Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW) provides live trajectory updates, while the NASA app includes augmented reality features that allow users to visualize the spacecraft’s position overhead. A live video broadcast will also stream on NASA’s YouTube channel beginning shortly before splashdown. Locally, the Fleet Science Center will host a three-day “Artemis Week” celebration from April 9–11, including live splashdown viewing inside its Giant Dome Theater, NASA expert talks, and interactive exhibits tied to the mission.
While the exact splashdown zone will be offshore and not directly accessible, clear vantage points along the San Diego coastline, from La Jolla to Coronado, may offer distant views of recovery operations, helicopters, and naval activity depending on visibility conditions. Space and military enthusiasts are expected to gather along the coast and San Diego Bay with signs and binoculars, turning the event into a rare communal welcome-home moment for astronauts returning from deep space.
While the exact splashdown zone will be offshore and not directly accessible, clear vantage points along the San Diego coastline, from La Jolla to Coronado, may offer distant views of recovery operations, helicopters, and naval activity depending on visibility conditions. Space and military enthusiasts are expected to gather along the coast and San Diego Bay with signs and binoculars, turning the event into a rare communal welcome-home moment for astronauts returning from deep space.
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| A photo of the moon eclipsing the sun captured by the Artemis II crew on April 6. |
The Artemis II mission has already made history, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 and marking a major milestone in NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually send crews to Mars. For San Diego, the splashdown brings that global achievement directly to its backyard, offering a once-in-a-generation chance to witness the final chapter of a lunar mission unfold just beyond the horizon.
As the countdown to splashdown approaches, all eyes will be on the Pacific, where science, exploration, and San Diego’s naval presence converge to bring astronauts safely home. Artemis II splashdown is currently scheduled for approximately 5:08pm on Friday, April 10, 2026, off the coast of San Diego.
Check out more amazing photos from the Artemis II mission at nasa.gov/gallery/lunar-flyby.
As the countdown to splashdown approaches, all eyes will be on the Pacific, where science, exploration, and San Diego’s naval presence converge to bring astronauts safely home. Artemis II splashdown is currently scheduled for approximately 5:08pm on Friday, April 10, 2026, off the coast of San Diego.
Check out more amazing photos from the Artemis II mission at nasa.gov/gallery/lunar-flyby.
Originally published on April 7, 2026.
