Astronauts aboard Artemis II have successfully crossed the halfway mark on their journey back to Earth after orbiting the Moon, marking a major milestone in the historic mission.
The crew is now on the final leg of their return, with mission controllers at NASA confirming that the spacecraft remains on course for a scheduled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
According to mission updates, the astronauts are expected to land at approximately 8:07 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, April 10 (0007 UTC on Saturday, April 11).
The splashdown zone has been designated off the coast of San Diego, where recovery teams are already on standby.
The Artemis II mission, which carried astronauts around the Moon and back without landing, is a critical step in NASA’s broader Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface and eventually enabling crewed missions to Mars.
Reaching the halfway point signals that the spacecraft has successfully completed its lunar flyby and is now safely navigating its return trajectory.
The final phase of the mission will test re-entry systems as the crew capsule endures extreme heat and pressure while passing through Earth’s atmosphere.
Officials say all systems onboard are functioning normally, and the crew remains in good condition ahead of the anticipated splashdown.
The mission is being closely watched around the world as a key demonstration of deep space travel capabilities and a precursor to future human landings on the Moon.
By 1960news.com
