NASA’s Artemis II capsule splashed down near San Diego on Saturday, returning four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen—after a 700,000‑mile round‑trip that included a lunar flyby. The mission marked the first human departure from low‑Earth orbit since 1972 and gave the United States a clear lead over China in the 21st‑century moon race. Live coverage on the three major networks drew millions.

During re‑entry the Orion crew module endured speeds over 24,000 mph and a six‑minute communications blackout before parachutes slowed the capsule to a 20‑mph splash. The flight set a new record, passing 252,756 miles from Earth—surpassing Apollo 13’s distance—and proved Orion’s life‑support and propulsion systems can safely ferry crews to the moon, clearing the way for a 2028 landing. Scientists captured high‑resolution far‑side images for landing site work.

Recovery teams battled strong currents before hoisting the crew aboard the USS John P. Murtha, where NASA administrator Jared Isaacman praised the “frequency” of future lunar missions. The splashdown unlocked the next tranche of contracts for the Space Launch System and lunar‑base infrastructure, sending aerospace stocks higher as investors anticipate a steady pipeline of government funding. The achievement spurred interest in commercial lunar payload services, widening market opportunities.