The Artemis II mission will conclude with a highly coordinated splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2026, at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT.

April 9, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ —  The Descent and Parachute Sequence Returning from the Moon, the Orion spacecraft will slam into Earth’s atmosphere at a blistering 25,000 mph. After surviving intense reentry heat using its ablative heat shield, the capsule relies on a carefully choreographed sequence of 11 parachutes to reach a safe landing speed. After the forward bay cover is jettisoned, two 23-foot drogue parachutes deploy at 25,000 feet to slow and stabilize the spinning capsule. At 9,500 feet, three pilot parachutes are released, which pull out the three massive 116-foot main parachutes. These main chutes gracefully decelerate Orion from around 130 mph to a splashdown speed of just 17 mph. Continue reading →