Artemis 2 splashdown
Definition
The successful water landing and recovery of NASA's Orion spacecraft carrying the Artemis II crew in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, concluding the program's first crewed mission—a 10-day journey around the Moon.
A milestone event in space exploration, marking the dramatic oceanic return of astronauts from lunar orbit, executed with precision to cheers from recovery teams and the world.
Examples
The Artemis 2 splashdown was so picture-perfect, it made Apollo-era recoveries look like amateur belly-flops.
After moon-gazing for days, the crew's Artemis 2 splashdown turned the Pacific into the ultimate zero-G pool party finale.
Forget fireworks; the Artemis 2 splashdown lit up the internet with more hype than a viral cat video.
The Artemis 2 splashdown proved that coming home from space is best done with a splash—recovery divers never had it so glamorous.