After spending the last several days navigating the void of space and completing the first crewed lunar flyby in over half a century, the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission are preparing for the most violent part of their journey: the return to Earth. Ground crews across Southern California are now in the final stages of preparation for a high-energy reentry and splashdown off the coast of San Diego, expected around 5 p.m. Pacific time this Friday.
For those wondering how to watch NASA’s Artemis II moon mission splashdown off San Diego, the answer is primarily digital. Although the event takes place in the Pacific, NASA officials have cautioned that the reentry trail will likely not be visible to the naked eye from the California shoreline. Instead, the agency is leaning on a massive digital broadcast to bring the moment to a global audience.
The mission marks a critical bridge in human spaceflight, transitioning from the uncrewed tests of the past to the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the moon. The crew—which includes pilot and Southern California native Victor Glover—will face a descent that tests the limits of materials science and human endurance.
Where and how to view the splashdown
Due to the fact that the Orion capsule’s descent path is expected to remain over the horizon for most residents of the West Coast, NASA is providing multiple high-definition streaming options. The agency will begin its official livestream at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time on YouTube, as well as through partnerships with Netflix and HBO Max.
For those who prefer a communal experience, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is hosting a family-friendly viewing party starting at 4 p.m. However, officials have issued a stern warning to those considering heading out to sea. Artemis II Lead Flight Director Jeff Radigan urged boaters to avoid the recovery area, citing the risk of falling debris and the potential for civilian vessels to obstruct the recovery of the astronauts in the event of an emergency.
This caution follows previous missions where unauthorized vessels created safety hazards, potentially exposing civilians to toxic chemicals used in spacecraft components and delaying critical medical evaluations for returning crews.
The physics of a ‘fireball’ reentry
The return process is a feat of extreme physics. The Orion capsule will hit the Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 24,000 mph—more than 30 times the speed of sound. This velocity compresses the air in front of the craft, creating a plasma field, or fireball, that reaches temperatures roughly half as hot as the surface of the sun.
This specific reentry is a high-stakes test for NASA. During the 2022 Artemis I mission, which carried no crew, the capsule’s heat shield experienced unexpected chipping in over 100 locations. To mitigate this risk, NASA is employing a new, more direct reentry technique for Artemis II to ensure the crew’s safety.
The intensity of the experience was not lost on the crew. When asked about the moments he will carry with him for the rest of his life, Victor Glover joked that while the lunar views were stunning, “riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.”
The Reentry Timeline
NASA’s precision is legendary and the window for the return is measured in seconds. The agency expects a total communication blackout for about six minutes as the plasma field wraps around the capsule, cutting off all radio signals to Mission Control.
| Time | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 4:53 p.m. | Atmospheric Entry | Capsule hits the atmosphere; communication blackout begins. |
| 5:03 p.m. | Drogue Deployment | Two small parachutes deploy to slow craft to ~300 mph. |
| 5:04 p.m. | Main Chutes Deploy | Large parachutes reduce speed to approximately 17 mph. |
| 5:07 p.m. | Splashdown | Capsule lands in the Pacific Ocean. |
Recovery and the road to the lunar surface
Once the capsule hits the water, a coordinated effort between NASA and the U.S. Navy begins. Navy divers will secure the craft and assist the astronauts in exiting the capsule, after which they will be airlifted by helicopters to the USS John P. Murtha, a 25,000-ton amphibious transport dock warship.
On board the Murtha, the crew will undergo immediate medical evaluations to assess the effects of deep-space radiation and microgravity on their bodies. The ship will then slowly return to San Diego, and the astronauts will eventually fly to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to reunite with their families.
While the splashdown is the immediate goal, the Artemis II mission was designed to test the “plumbing” of deep space travel. The crew spent their mission troubleshooting life support systems, including the spacecraft’s toilet and radiation sheltering procedures in the cargo locker, to ensure that future missions can survive the harsher environment of a lunar landing.
What comes next for Artemis
The success of this mission clears the path for the next phases of the program. NASA’s current roadmap aims to launch Artemis III in 2027, which will focus on docking the Orion spacecraft with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Following that, Artemis IV is targeted for 2028, with the ultimate goal of returning humans to the surface of the moon.
These missions are not merely about footprints in the dust; they are the first steps toward a permanent lunar base, which NASA intends to use as a proving ground for the eventual human exploration of Mars.
The next official checkpoint for the program will be the post-mission analysis of the Artemis II heat shield data, which will determine the final configurations for the Artemis III landing mission.
We aim for to hear from you. Are you watching the return of the Artemis II crew? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
