NASA’s Orion spacecraft pictured from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings. [Courtesy, NASA]

The first crew to journey toward the Moon in over 50 years has safely returned to Earth following a historic, record-breaking mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, touched down on earth, splashing into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

Their nearly 10-day mission carried them as far as 252,756 miles from Earth, marking the farthest distance humans have traveled in decades.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. [Courtesy, NASA]

A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 flies overhead as small boats approach the spacecraft following the splashdown. [Courtesy. NASA]

U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship. [Courtesy, Nasa]

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, gives NASA Flight Surgeon Richard Scheuring a hug. [Courtesy, NASA]

NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot is assisted off the flight deck after arriving aboard USS John P. Murtha. [Courtesy, Nasa]

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist is assisted off the flight deck after arriving aboard USS John P. Murtha. Photo[Courtesy, NASA/Bill Ingalls]

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen as recovery teams work to secure the spacecraft ahead of transferring Artemis II crewmembers USS John P. Photo [Couretsy, NASA/Joel Kowsky]

U.S. Navy divers deploy in small boats from the well deck of USS John P. Murtha to recover Artemis II crewmembers. [Courtesy, NASA/ Bill Ingals]
U.S. Navy personnel are seen in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha as they prepare equipment for the recovery of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and extraction of the Artemis II crewmembers. Photo [Courtesy, NASA/Joel Kowsky]

NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers aboard is seen under drogue parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. [Courtesy, NASA/ Joel Kowsky] 

Caption
A Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 is seen as it lifts NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot as teams work to bring the crewmembers aboard USS John P. Murtha. [courtesy, NASA/Joel Kowsky]
Lisa Mazzuca, mission manager for the Search and Rescue Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, poses for a portrait on the bridge of USS John P. Murtha as teams prepare for the the return of the Artemis II crewmembers to Earth. [Courtesy, NASA/ Joel Kowsky]
View of the USS John P. Murtha flight deck is seen from the air boss tower ahead of the return of the Artemis II crewmembers to Earth. [Courtesy, NASA/Bill Ingalls]
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, talk with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at their Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha. [Courtesy, NASA/ Bill Ingalls]
Artemis II Flight Control Team pictured at consoles within the White Flight Control Room in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for the splashdown and recovery of the Artemis II crew as it landed in the Pacific Ocean. [ Courtes, ROBERT MARKOWITZ NASA-JSC]