The crucial task of Artemis II's astronauts' mission will be to splashdown the Orion capsule safely on Earth and NASA is preparing around the clock to bring the astronauts safely back home. The Mission Control told ABC13 that they are positive about the (April 10) Friday's splashdown.
When And Where Will Artemis II Splashdown on Earth?
Artemis II has already crossed the halfway point between the Moon and Earth. The splashdown is scheduled to take place in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 pm ET on Friday, April 10 (12:07 am UTC Saturday, April 11) and Saturday, April 11, 5:37 am IST (Indian Standard Time).
During entering the Earth's outer space, the service module of Artemis II will separate at around 6.33 PM (4:03 AM IST), which is about 20 minutes before the Orion capsule reaches the upper atmosphere of the Earth. After a few minutes, a fire will be meant to take the flight a path to its designation and landing zone as Orion will begin a series of roll manoeuvres.
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According to NASA, the Artemis II crew and Orion will reach their maximum velocity just before entry interface at about 23,864 miles per hour. The first parachute will be released to slow down the spacecraft at about 22,000 feet at 7:03 p.m. CDT (5.33 AM IST), followed by more at about 6,000 feet.
The crew will exit from the Orion capsule and will take flight to the USS John P. Murtha within 2-hours after landing, and they will undergo post-mission medical checkups.
How Will the Artemis II Crew Re-Enter Earth?
According to the Artemis II parachute system manager, Jared Daum, some pyrotechnics were plugged into the back of Orion and blasted them out into the airstream. "Basically, we pack a shoot into a bag, stuff it into a cannon, plug some pyrotechnics into the back of it and blast them out into the airstream," Jared Daum said, reported ABC News.
NASA is planning to start the fireworks early with pyrotechnics that will help slow the Orion spacecraft before splashdown, according to ABC News. Jared Daum stated that there are four parachutes that will be released with a bang. These parachutes are an important part of the mission and will help the spacecraft slow down, which is expected to deploy from 400,000 feet to the Pacific Ocean in just 13 minutes at speeds up to 35,000 feet per second.
Johnson Space Center is ready with a team that will check astronauts' balance using tools shortly after they return to Earth. Jason Norcross, an extra-vehicular activities and environmental physiology laboratory senior scientist, said that while the mission lasted only a week and a half, it could take days for the astronauts to overcome some disorientation.
"You'll often see the astronauts as they move, they'll tend to keep their head and body kind of robotically together. That's a way to prevent motion sickness," Norscross said.
How to Watch the Artemis II Splashdown Live Streaming in India?
The four-person crew — Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover will be back home tomorrow. According to the space agency, the Artemis II crew is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
To witness the historic landing of Artemis II in India, there are several ways to watch a livestream. Visit the NASA official YouTube channel or the streaming platform NASA+. One can also watch on OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, etc.
When and Where to Watch Artemis II Splashdown in India?
April 11, 2026, at 5:30 AM IST on Saturday. The coverage will begin at 4:00 AM IST.
Streaming Platforms: YouTube, NASA+, Netflix, Prime Video and more.