NASA Artemis Moonshot

This image provided by NASA, the Artemis II crew captured this view the Moon and Earth are shown on Monday, April 6, 2026.

As featured on

Artemis II astronauts describe their lunar voyage as surreal and profound ahead of Earth return

Artemis II astronauts describe their lunar voyage as surreal and profound ahead of Earth return

The Artemis II astronauts are tidying up their lunar cruiser for Friday's “fireball” return to Earth. They're also reflecting on their historic journey around the moon, describing it as surreal and profound. The three Americans and one Canadian are now under 150,000 miles from home. Humanity's first lunar explorers in more than a half-century, they set a new distance record during Monday's lunar flyby. Artemis II is aiming for a splashdown in the Pacific off the San Diego coast.