By Gloria Ogbonna
The four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission safely returned to Earth this week, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after successfully completing their historic journey around the Moon. The mission marks a major milestone in America’s renewed push for deep space exploration and future crewed missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
Following reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, the Orion spacecraft deployed its parachutes and gently descended into the Pacific waters. Video footage shared by Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) showed the dramatic moment as recovery teams approached the capsule and assisted the astronauts out one by one onto waiting lifeboats.
The Artemis II crew — NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — appeared calm and smiling as they exited the Orion capsule after their groundbreaking mission.
According to reports, NASA had prepared an extensive recovery operation to extract the astronauts from the spacecraft. After splashdown, recovery divers secured the Orion capsule, and crews began the careful process of assisting the astronauts out of the vehicle. The astronauts were then transported by helicopter to the nearby U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship, USS John P. Murtha, which served as the primary recovery vessel.
NASA later confirmed on social media that all four astronauts had been successfully extracted from Orion and were safely aboard the USS John P. Murtha. The agency stated that the crew would next be escorted to the ship’s medical bay, where they would undergo routine post-mission medical evaluations — a standard procedure following spaceflight to assess the effects of microgravity and reentry on the human body.
As the Orion capsule floated in the Pacific after parachute deployment, a Mission Control announcer reflected on the significance of the moment, comparing the achievement to the visionary writings of Jules Verne and calling it a new chapter in humanity’s exploration of its “celestial neighbor.” The mission represents NASA’s first crewed lunar mission under the Artemis program, paving the way for future Moon landings and eventual missions to Mars.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the successful mission in a post on Truth Social, congratulating the astronauts and praising the operation. “Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II,” Trump wrote. “The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud!”
He added that he looks forward to welcoming the astronauts to the White House and expressed optimism about the future of American space exploration, saying, “We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”
WATCH: The Initial Crew Members Are Extracted from the Spacecraft – 04/10/26 pic.twitter.com/3BvZmoOQuC
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) April 11, 2026
The safe return of the Artemis II crew marks a significant achievement for NASA and its international partners, demonstrating the capability of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System to carry astronauts on deep-space missions.
With this milestone completed, the Artemis program moves one step closer to its long-term goal: establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and eventually sending astronauts onward to Mars.
Source Breitbart
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