Which four astronauts comprised the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission that splashed down on April 10, 2026?

The crew of NASA's historic Artemis II mission, which successfully splashed down on April 10, 2026, was comprised of astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. This landmark journey marked the first time humans traveled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, serving as a crucial test flight for NASA's Artemis program. The mission evaluated the performance of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft in deep space with a human crew onboard, paving the way for future lunar surface missions.

During their approximately ten-day voyage around the Moon, the four astronauts achieved several significant milestones. Victor Glover became the first person of color to travel around the Moon, Christina Koch became the first woman to do so, and Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, became the first non-American to venture beyond low Earth orbit and around the Moon. Commander Reid Wiseman, the oldest person on this lunar flyby, led this trailblazing crew. The mission also set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, surpassing the record held by Apollo 13.

The splashdown occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, bringing to a close a mission that captivated audiences worldwide. The safe return of the Artemis II crew, after meticulously testing Orion's systems and operations in the deep-space environment, provides invaluable data and experience for NASA's ambitious plan to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. This mission underscored the spirit of international collaboration and pushed the boundaries of human space exploration.