Artemis II splashdown time set as NASA prepares for high-speed return and recovery mission

The Artemis II crew is set to return to Earth on Friday, with NASA outlining the complex steps required for a safe splashdown.

According to The Guardian, the Orion capsule will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 24,000mph before landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

Officials stressed that precision is critical during this phase.

Speaking at a press conference, NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya said: “To every engineer, every technician that’s touched this machine, tomorrow belongs to you. The crew has done their part. Now we have to do ours.”

Flight director Jeff Radigan said the spacecraft must enter at an exact angle.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly – otherwise we’re not going to have a successful re-entry,” he said.

The return sequence includes separation of the service module, which will burn up in the atmosphere, followed by parachute deployment and splashdown at about 5:07 PM PT.

A brief communications blackout is also expected during re-entry.

Officials warned the public to avoid the designated recovery zone due to falling debris.

Recovery operations involving the USS John P Murtha are expected to take up to 90 minutes before the crew is extracted and flown to Houston for medical checks.

Astronaut Victor Glover said the mission’s return carries valuable data.

“We have to get back. There’s so much data that you’ve seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are so many more pictures, so many more stories.”