APRIL 8, 2026 – Next stop — Earth.
Following a historic lunar flyby at a record-setting distance, the Artemis II crew is now on its return journey, with splashdown expected Friday in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 50-60 miles off the coast of San Diego. Awaiting their arrival will be USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), positioned to recover the astronauts and capsule.
For NPS alumnus and mission commander, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Reid Wiseman, the focus has shifted decisively to the most critical phase of the mission — bringing the crew home safely.
“We are locked in,” said Wiseman. “We are definitely excited for the second half of this mission. And we are on guard. We are the first crew to fly this vehicle. We are ready for any contingency and any scenario. We are going to stay locked in every second until we are back on that Navy ship, at home reunited with our families.”
Wiseman and spacecraft pilot, U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover, also an NPS alumnus, are drawing on years of experience as Navy test pilots, combined with advanced education and astronaut training, to guide the spacecraft, coined Integrity by the crew, safely back to Earth.
As our blue planet grows steadily larger in the capsule’s windows, the significance of their mission is already clear. Their journey around the Moon has generated critical insights that will inform future Artemis missions and advance NASA’s long-term goal of human exploration beyond lunar orbit.
On Day 6, the crew entered the Moon’s sphere of influence — the point at which lunar gravity overtakes Earth’s pull — marking a key milestone in the mission. For hours, the astronauts conducted detailed observations of the Moon’s near and far sides, capturing new imagery and data.
Wiseman and Glover, alongside crewmates Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, passed within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface and experienced a 40-minute communications blackout, another defining moment of the mission.
That moment was made even more meaningful by a pre-recorded message from Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, a fellow naval aviator and test pilot, who passed away in 2025 at age 97.
“Hello Artemis II. This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood,” the message read. “I’m proud to pass that torch to you as you swing around the Moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars for the benefit of all … Good luck and Godspeed from all those here on the good Earth.”
The symbolism was powerful. Lovell, commander of Apollo 13, held the previous record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth at 248,655 miles. Artemis II surpassed that mark, reaching 252,760 miles, more than 4,000 miles farther than any human spaceflight before it.
The crew worked in rotating pairs during the Moon flyby, conducting more than six hours of focused observation of the lunar surface. They witnessed Earth set behind the Moon and later rise again followed by an extremely rare view of a solar eclipse as the Moon passed between the spacecraft and the Sun, a first for human eyes.
While the Artemis II crew observed the Moon, another spacecraft was watching them.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a robotic spacecraft with ties to NPS, captured images of the Integrity capsule as it swung around the Moon. LRO’s mission includes mapping the Moon’s surface, identifying potential resources such as water and ice, and helping determine safe landing sites for future missions. NPS faculty and students contributed to the LRO’s fast attitude maneuvering control system, which enables the spacecraft to precisely reorient, capabilities essential for tracking and imaging.
Data from Artemis II and imagery from LRO are now being processed and are eagerly anticipated by researchers at NASA and partner institutions, including NPS.
This collaboration reflects a broader, enduring partnership between NASA and NPS that advances both cutting-edge research and the education of future operational leaders and astronauts. The ability to connect real-world missions with graduate-level education remains a hallmark of the NPS experience.
NPS’ science writer Dan Linehan is embedded at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, reporting on the mission and its broader impact.
“It’s been amazing to track the many facets of Artemis II mission firsthand and our two NPS alumni’s efforts,” said Linehan. “Being here at Houston to watch as Integrity streaked toward the Moon was incredible to witness, especially being there when mission control transmitted the congratulatory words of naval aviator and astronaut Jim Lovell to the crew. And because of the excellent and continued collaboration with NASA, I felt welcomed as a representative from NPS by the NASA team to make the right connections.”
Since first putting humans in space, the Navy, NPS, and NASA have had an inseparable bond in space education and research; in naval aviators turned astronauts, from the Mercury Program to today’s Artemis II; in the U.S. Navy ships and Sailors returning the astronauts home after splashdown; and to the scientists, engineers, and leaders filling everywhere in-between.
With seven NPS alumni in the active NASA astronaut corps, the Navy and NPS remain vital contributors to America’s future lunar missions and space exploration.
Story by Daniel Linehan
Naval Postgraduate School