NASA updates Artemis II flight-day coverage as crew heads home from lunar flyby

NASA says the Artemis II crew is in the home stretch of its mission after completing a lunar flyby and turning Orion back toward Earth.

In a Flight Day 8 update posted April 8, 2026, the agency said the astronauts were conducting key return-to-Earth tests aboard the spacecraft and preparing for two planned test objectives on the way home. NASA also scheduled a virtual news conference with the crew for later that evening.

The update follows earlier mission coverage confirming that Artemis II had moved into its return leg after passing the moon. AP independently reported on April 7 and 8 that the crew was heading home, and NASA’s own mission materials said splashdown was targeted for April 10 off the coast of San Diego.

NASA said the flight is designed to help validate systems and procedures for future crewed deep-space missions. The agency has also said the Artemis II crew broke the Apollo 13 distance record earlier in the mission as Orion carried the astronauts farther from Earth than any previous human spacecraft.

The current phase is focused on the spacecraft’s behavior during the return trip rather than on new lunar operations. NASA’s latest update said the crew was continuing planned checks as the capsule heads back toward Earth.