The Artemis II 10-day mission ends today, April 10.
The four astronauts will complete their mission tonight, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California.
They completed a highlight of the mission Monday, April 6, flying less than 5,000 miles above the lunar surface during their seven-hour lunar flyby.
➤ When does Artemis II crew return to Earth? See timeline, photos
Their fastest speed will come late today as they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, about 25,000 mph. That’s fast enough to make it from Miami to New York in about 3 minutes.
Here’s what is happening today and how you can watch a live stream of tonight’s splashdown.
Live stream: Watch NASA Artemis II moon mission end with splashdown tonight, April 10
At 6 a.m. Friday, April 10, the astronauts were just about 86,000 miles from Earth and more than 173,000 miles from the moon.
They are continuing to pick up speed:
Artemis II tracker: Follow astronauts with live updates as moon mission nears end
NASA has an online tracker for Artemis II available on desktop and as a mobile app, which allows users to see where the Orion spacecraft is, how fast it’s traveling, and how many miles it is in real time from both the Earth and the moon during its 10-day mission toward and around the moon, according to NASA.
The desktop version of the “Artemis Real-Time Orbit Website” (or AROW) includes key mission milestones and characteristics about the moon, including information about landing sites during the Apollo era. The mobile version included in NASA’s app adds an augmented reality feature that allows users to move their phones to see where Orion currently is, relative to Earth.
➤ Download the app here: Apple App Store | Google Play
The data is collected in real time by sensors on Orion and then sent to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. That information has been updated since one minute after liftoff and will continue until Orion begins its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
What will Artemis II crew do today, April 10? Get safely back on Earth
“The last day of the Artemis II mission is focused on getting the crew safely home,” NASA said.
“A final return trajectory correction burn will ensure Orion is on the right path for splashdown, and the crew will return their cabin to its original set up – with equipment stowed and seats in place – and get back into their spacesuits.
“The crew module will separate from the service module, whose engines have steered them around the moon and back to Earth. This will expose the crew module’s heat shield, which will protect the spacecraft and crew as they make their way back through Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures of up about 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Once safely through the heat of reentry, the cover that protected the spacecraft’s forward bay will be jettisoned to make way for a series of parachutes to deploy — two drogue parachutes that will slow the capsule down to about 307 miles per hour, followed by three pilot parachutes that will pull out the final three main parachutes.
“These will slow Orion down to approximately 17 mph for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where NASA and U.S. Navy personnel will be waiting for them, concluding the Artemis II mission.”
When will the Artemis 2 astronauts return to Earth?
The Orion capsule will reenter Earth’s atmosphere Friday, April 10, as its service module responsible for propelling and maneuvering the vehicle through space will separate and burn up.
That maneuver exposes the crew module’s heat shield, protecting the astronauts from the 3,000-degree Fahrenheit conditions the vehicle will endure.
➤ Time of Artemis II splashdown in California, what it will look like
Orion will then make a parachute-assisted water landing estimated for 8:07 p.m. ET Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean near California off the coast of San Diego.
Countdown clock for splashdown of Orion capsule, ending Artemis II mission
See photos from Artemis II moon mission
What was mission of Artemis II?
Under its Artemis campaign, NASA intends to return astronauts to the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions came to an end in 1972.
NASA is planning to establish a permanent foothold on the lunar south pole, using a series of crewed and uncrewed missions in the years ahead to build a moon base. From there, the first humans could head toward Mars.
The 10-day mission primarily serves as a test flight, with the four-person crew testing systems and hardware ahead of a future moon landing.
When will we land on the moon?
In 2027, another crew of astronauts is due to ride Orion to Earth orbit to test docking capabilities with one or both of the commercial lunar landers being developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
A lunar landing would then come in 2028 under Artemis IV.
Will Artemis II splash down near Florida?
No. When they return to Earth Friday, April 10, the astronauts in the Orion capsule will make a parachute-assisted water landing in the Pacific Ocean off California.
Meet the Artemis II crew
The four crew members of Artemis II are:
Contributing: Brooke Edwards, FLORIDA TODAY
Cheryl McCloud and Eric Lagatta are journalists for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Artemis II tracker: Live updates as astronauts prepare for splashdown
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud and Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
