Artemis II: America is headed back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years

[Wingnut]

The Shitter is full!.

[Idiot]

The Shitter is full!.

[mystery-ak]

Preparing for landing Artemis II to return home Friday in nail-biting, 14-minute journey through Earth’s atmosphere

The splashdown will conclude the crew’s 685,000 mile flight that began 10 days ago and marked the first manned flight to the moon in 54 years.


By Alex Oliveira
Published April 10, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET

Artemis II’s long journey to the moon and back is expected to end with a glorious splashdown in the Pacific Ocean Friday evening.

The crew is scheduled to hit the water around 8:07 p.m. ET about 80 miles off the coast of San Diego, concluding a historic 685,000-mile flight that began 10 days ago on the Florida coast and marked the first manned flight to the moon in 54 years.

Friday’s splashdown is unlikely to be as dazzling a sight here on Earth as the April 1 launch was — but the astronauts will have a show from within their capsule as they soar through the atmosphere at nearly 25,000 mph on a tail of fire and the capsule heats to upward of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit



more
https://nypost.com/2026/04/10/us-news/artemis-ii-to-return-home-friday-in-14-minute-journey-through-earths-atmosphere/

[mystery-ak]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Miy8ngusQ

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2042756824202359272

[mystery-ak]

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/WAServers/status/2042756880745799845

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042755990521594192

[rustynail]

A needed event.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2042758242007220608

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042755208246153713

[MeganC]

Thank you Jesus for watching over our astronauts! 

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042761743382782240

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042703037311979957

[Hoodat]

World Source News
@Worldsource24

The Artemis 2 spacecraft that orbited the moon safely returned to Earth and landed as planned in the Pacific Ocean.



7:36 PM · Apr 10, 2026  ·  1,633 Views

https://x.com/Worldsource24/status/2042763578722103504

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042770724243361877

[Smokin Joe]

Thank you Jesus for watching over our astronauts! 

[Idiot]

I think it's incredible that we were able to send astronauts to space to orbit the moon then come back.  Ok...with that being said, we landed on the moon 6 times and orbited the moon on those flights as well.  How is this Artemis flight something so historic, because it orbited a bit further away?  I'm just not getting how this flight was so historic/spectacular with wall to wall coverage.  I remember the last moon walks hardly got any press at all, since we had already done it so many times before. 

Don't get me wrong....the technology is impressive, but we've done this 6 times previously.

[Idiot]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2042770724243361877

I can think of some politicians who are already on Mars...lol.

[Timber Rattler]

I think it's incredible that we were able to send astronauts to space to orbit the moon then come back.  Ok...with that being said, we landed on the moon 6 times and orbited the moon on those flights as well.  How is this Artemis flight something so historic, because it orbited a bit further away?  I'm just not getting how this flight was so historic/spectacular with wall to wall coverage.  I remember the last moon walks hardly got any press at all, since we had already done it so many times before. 

Don't get me wrong....the technology is impressive, but we've done this 6 times previously.

I guess its historic in that NASA figured out how to do it again after losing all that Apollo engineering expertise and technology with the dead-end STS back in the 1970s and 1980s.

[catfish1957]

I think it's incredible that we were able to send astronauts to space to orbit the moon then come back.  Ok...with that being said, we landed on the moon 6 times and orbited the moon on those flights as well.  How is this Artemis flight something so historic, because it orbited a bit further away?  I'm just not getting how this flight was so historic/spectacular with wall to wall coverage.  I remember the last moon walks hardly got any press at all, since we had already done it so many times before. 

Don't get me wrong....the technology is impressive, but we've done this 6 times previously.

You realize that this is kind of like Apollo 8, a test mission?

The Apollo program's stated mission was never to colonize the moon like this one. 

Totally different animal, and potentially profitable if the rare earth metals are as prevalant as they are thinking.

[mystery-ak]

NASA provided an update on the Artemis II astronauts Friday evening after the crew returned to Earth.

Rick Henfling, Artemis II entry flight director, said during a news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston that the four astronauts are “happy and healthy.”

Henfling said Pilot Victor Glover had been sitting on the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha recovery ship and was in “good spirits.”

“Everything we've been hearing from the surgeons is the flight crew is happy and healthy and ready to come home to Houston,” he said.

Now that the astronauts were back, Henfling shared what their first days on Earth would look like.

“The top priority is going to be to get them promptly back to their families here in Houston,” he said. “As far as the specifics, I'm sure each of the crew members has something special planned with their families, and that'll be the priority is for them to take some time and spend with their loved ones.”

NASA anticipates the astronauts will arrive in Houston between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time.
Posted by Michael Sinkewicz

[mystery-ak]

After the Orion spacecraft successfully made splashdown shortly after 5:00 p.m. PT and the Artemis II crew was retrieved, its history-making journey isn't over yet.

According to NASA, the Recovery Director will instruct Navy divers to attach cables to pull the spacecraft onboard a Navy ship.

A winch line will connect to up to four additional tending lines which will pull Orion into a "specially designed cradle" inside the ship's well deck.

Once Orion is positioned above the cradle, the well deck is drained and open water personnel will work to recover both the spacecraft's forward bay cover and three main parachutes.

If the jettisoned cover and parachutes are recovered, engineers can inspect hardware and gather data from the landmark mission.

From there, all hardware and the spacecraft will be transported to a pier at U.S. Naval Base San Diego.

When the Orion spacecraft is officially recovered at the Recovery Transportation Fixture, a platform NASA has nicknamed "the Armadillo," it will be moved by truck to Kennedy Space Center.
Posted by Jasmine Baehr

[BobfromWB]

I think it's incredible that we were able to send astronauts to space to orbit the moon then come back.  Ok...with that being said, we landed on the moon 6 times and orbited the moon on those flights as well.  How is this Artemis flight something so historic, because it orbited a bit further away?  I'm just not getting how this flight was so historic/spectacular with wall to wall coverage.  I remember the last moon walks hardly got any press at all, since we had already done it so many times before. 

Don't get me wrong....the technology is impressive, but we've done this 6 times previously.

Not a bit further away, but much, much further away; the Apollo orbiter had to keep close to the surface to be able to retrieve the moon walkers ... so they only saw small portions, and the far side was mostly in shadow during their orbits. The Orion crew could see the entire far side at one glance.

There was a video I saw that explained all of that - I was wondering as you have.

[BobfromWB]

The Apollo program's stated mission was never to colonize the moon like this one. 

Actually the Apollo mission was ready to set up a colony mission, but the program was kill by lack of political will, as were many others before it, before the next step was implemented.

That is why 47 wants to go to the Moon now, because its a certainty that, when the Dems take the purse strings, they will kill it - if for no other reason than 47.

The Dems hate the idea of Americans too far away to control, and will destroy any proposal that has the possibility.

[catfish1957]

Actually the Apollo mission was ready to set up a colony mission, but the program was kill by lack of political will, as were many others before it, before the next step was implemented.

That is why 47 wants to go to the Moon now, because its a certainty that, when the Dems take the purse strings, they will kill it - if for no other reason than 47.

The Dems hate the idea of Americans too far away to control, and will destroy any proposal that has the possibility.

I lived in that era, but don't remember that.  Think you are only half right on that statement after AI-ing, and this is more what I remember.....

The Apollo missions were primarily focused on crewed lunar landings and exploration, not on colonization of the Moon. While there were discussions about future applications of Apollo technology, the goal was not to establish permanent settlements.

[mystery-ak]

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2042930811708592335

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/CuriosityonX/status/2042893492322460052

[mountaineer]

 

Sen. Mark Kelly: “The last thing I would want in a Space Shuttle crew would be seven white-guy U.S. navy test pilots like me.”

https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2043006874946068604

[Wingnut]

Sen. Mark Kelly: “The last thing I would want in a Space Shuttle crew would be seven white-guy U.S. navy test pilots like me.”

https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2043006874946068604

What an idiot.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

When was the last space shuttle launch anyway? Over a decade ago? Does he know that?

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2043073391016423597

[Smokin Joe]

What an idiot.

Considering the Fates of Challenger and Columbia, maybe this is a more racist comment than it looks like.

[BobfromWB]

I lived in that era, but don't remember that.  Think you are only half right on that statement after AI-ing, and this is more what I remember.....

The Apollo missions were primarily focused on crewed lunar landings and exploration, not on colonization of the Moon. While there were discussions about future applications of Apollo technology, the goal was not to establish permanent settlements.

Yeah I lived threw that and the cancellation of Project Orion in '64 - there was a whole lot more to Apollo than was om CBSNBCABC nightly news.

You would have to look at NASA archives - its all in there some where; AI will not suffice, sorry. You have to actually look, time consuming as it may be.

[mountaineer]

What an idiot.

https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/2043191964233773468

[GtHawk]

https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/2043191964233773468

Apparently six White guys like him(though the others in the pic might disagree about being like him) are okay, but one more would reach a critical mass event. I would however argue that the appellation of Idiot is too charitable.

[Timber Rattler]

Well here's a much better man and a REAL hero who makes Kelly look like the jackass he is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfKtg1qbYk

[BobfromWB]

Well here's a much better man and a REAL hero who makes Kelly look like the jackass he is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfKtg1qbYk

[cato potatoe]

I can’t help but wonder what the point of a moon or mars base would be.  To extract resources from an asteroid, at some point?  We are limited to our inner solar system until a new form of energy is discovered, and light speed travel made possible. 

[MeganC]

I can’t help but wonder what the point of a moon or mars base would be.  To extract resources from an asteroid, at some point?  We are limited to our inner solar system until a new form of energy is discovered, and light speed travel made possible.

The point of a moon base is to utilize the resources there for their own reasons and to assist in launching missions to Mars and to the asteroids. The advantage of a moon-launched Mars vehicle is that it takes 1/6th as much energy to launch as does something launched directly from Earth.

Both Mars and the Moon have abundant resources and also unknown and untapped resources that can only be found out through exploration.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I can’t help but wonder what the point of a moon or mars base would be.  To extract resources from an asteroid, at some point?  We are limited to our inner solar system until a new form of energy is discovered, and light speed travel made possible.

The real point is to do it before China does it IMO, but a moon base is pretty cool and relatively close by space standards. Mars is pointless imo.

[Wingnut]

I think I read where the base will be near the moons south poll becase the think there is water there.

Fun facts

Water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, providing breathable air for astronauts.
The hydrogen from water can be used to create rocket fuel, making it easier and cheaper for missions to travel to and from the Moon.

[MeganC]

The real point is to do it before China does it IMO, but a moon base is pretty cool and relatively close by space standards. Mars is pointless imo.

The thing is we do not yet know if Mars is pointless or not. If it is then people will move on. If it isn't then people will move in.

I suspect that Mars would be the base for exploration and exploitation of the asteroid belt. Many of the asteroids are already known to contain vast amounts of iron, nickel, platinum, and other metals.

The value of these metals is that they are already in space. This makes it orders of magnitude cheaper to make things from metal for use in space instead of launching the metals or finished products from the earth.

Right now it costs $50,000 to $100,000 per pound to put something into orbit. If it's already in space then that money is saved right from the start.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

The thing is we do not yet know if Mars is pointless or not. If it is then people will move on. If it isn't then people will move in.

I suspect that Mars would be the base for exploration and exploitation of the asteroid belt. Many of the asteroids are already known to contain vast amounts of iron, nickel, platinum, and other metals.

The value of these metals is that they are already in space. This makes it orders of magnitude cheaper to make things from metal for use in space instead of launching the metals or finished products from the earth.

Right now it costs $50,000 to $100,000 per pound to put something into orbit. If it's already in space then that money is saved right from the start.

Yeah I just think if it made sense economically we'd already be doing it... if that makes sense?

[MeganC]

Yeah I just think if it made sense economically we'd already be doing it... if that makes sense?

Government could just get out of the way and open everything up to private exploration and commercial development.

[Smokin Joe]

The point of a moon base is to utilize the resources there for their own reasons and to assist in launching missions to Mars and to the asteroids. The advantage of a moon-launched Mars vehicle is that it takes 1/6th as much energy to launch as does something launched directly from Earth.

Both Mars and the Moon have abundant resources and also unknown and untapped resources that can only be found out through exploration.

Asteroids could be boosted to the moon and allowed to hit it, then mined. Can't do that on Earth.

[Smokin Joe]

The point of a moon base is to utilize the resources there for their own reasons and to assist in launching missions to Mars and to the asteroids. The advantage of a moon-launched Mars vehicle is that it takes 1/6th as much energy to launch as does something launched directly from Earth.

Both Mars and the Moon have abundant resources and also unknown and untapped resources that can only be found out through exploration.

Well, it is definitely a shorter commute from Mars to the Belt.

[Wingnut]

Anyone know where I can get a NASA Rise replica?

[Timber Rattler]

First recovery footage of the Artemis II crew has just been released:

http://twitter.com/i/status/2043884772456624571