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.<\/p>\n
April 9, 2026 \/Mpelembe Media\/ \u2014\u00a0\u00a0The Descent and Parachute Sequence<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n Splashdown and Uprighting<\/strong> Upon impacting the water, the capsule is prone to flipping upside down into a “Stable 2” position, which would leave the astronauts hanging upside down and submerge the communication antennas. To counter this, the Crew Module Up-righting System (CMUS)<\/strong> activates within seconds. This system inflates five bright orange, high-pressure helium airbags on the top of the capsule, providing the buoyancy needed to force Orion into an upright orientation.<\/p>\n The Maritime Recovery Operation<\/strong> A joint NASA and U.S. Navy team will retrieve the crew using the USS John P. Murtha<\/em><\/strong>, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship equipped with a flooded well deck. Navy divers will approach the capsule in small boats, verify the surrounding air and water are safe, and help the four astronauts exit onto an inflatable raft called the “front porch”. From there, the crew will be hoisted into Sea Hawk helicopters and flown to the USS Murtha’s<\/em> medical bay for evaluations. Finally, divers will attach tethers to Orion and tow the empty capsule directly into the ship’s well deck.<\/p>\n This entire splashdown procedure requires strict weather criteria to proceed safely: winds must be below 29 mph, waves under 6 feet, and there must be no rain or thunderstorms within 35 miles of the landing zone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n