The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. The crew was selected in April 2023, and have been training together for their mission for the past three years.
Source: NASA

The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.
Source: NASA

The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator "Rise," inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.
Source: NASA

A view from the window of the Orion spacecraft approximately 9 minutes before Earthset during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.
Source: NASA

The Moon seen peeking above the window sill of the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. The Artemis II crew spent about 7 hours at the Orion windows during the flyby, taking photos and recording observations on the Moon to share with scientists on the ground.
Source: NASA

A shot from early in the Artemis II lunar flyby, taken with a smaller aperture setting, shows a moodier version of the Moon than some of the other flyby images with more typical lighting settings. The four crew members spent about 7 hours photographing and recording observations of the Moon as they flew around the far side on April 6, 2026.
Source: NASA

Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch is seen through a window of the Orion spacecraft while on her way to the Moon. This selfie-style photo was taken using a camera on the end of one of Orion's solar array wings on flight day 4 of the approximately 10-day test flight, when Orion was more than halfway to the Moon. Koch is holding "Rise", the zero gravity indicator that launched with the crew after being selected from more than 2,600 original designs that were submitted from countries around the world. A zero gravity indicator is a small plush item that typically rides with a crew to visually indicate when they are in space. “Rise” was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission.
Source: NASA

Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch (center) and Commander Reid Wiseman (top) are seen through windows of the Orion spacecraft while on their way to the Moon. This selfie-style photo was taken using a camera on the end of one of Orion's solar array wings on flight day 4 of the approximately 10-day test flight, when Orion was more than halfway to the Moon.
Source: NASA

Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen through a window of the Orion spacecraft while on his way to the Moon. This selfie-style photo was taken using a camera on the end of one of Orion's solar array wings on flight day 4 of the approximately 10-day test flight, when Orion was more than halfway to the Moon.
Source: NASA