STORY: :: NASA gives an update on the Artemis II crew's preparations before splashdown this Friday
:: Houston, Texas/April 7, 2026
:: Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator
"Now, Integrity left the lunar sphere of influence earlier this morning, so they are now approximately 229,000 miles from Earth, and it will splash down Friday evening at approximately 8:07 p.m. Eastern time. And the recovery weather is so far looking favorable."
:: Rick Henfling, Artemis II mission flight director
"The crew is going to have each of them will have a conference with their family members. We'll have some routine medical checks. And then in the evening, we're going to perform the first return trajectory, return trajectory, correction, maneuver. It will be one decimal three feet per second. It will last about 15 seconds. And we're going to use the service module reaction control system thrusters to do that burn. We expect that burn to occur about 9 p.m Eastern time."
The activities, outlined by NASA officials during a briefing, are the latest in a busy mission that has already yielded photos and data from the spacecraft's lunar flyby the day prior.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the spacecraft has left the lunar sphere of influence and is currently about 229,000 miles from Earth.
According to Isaacman, favorable weather conditions are anticipated for the recovery operation.
Flight Director Rick Henfling provided details on the upcoming re-entry sequence, with the crew module and service module expected to separate at 7:33 p.m. Eastern Time Friday, followed by entry interface at 7:53 p.m and splashdown just after 8:00 p.m.
