Post by CSIRO

Welcome home, Artemis II! 👏 After ten days in space, the Artemis II crew have safely returned to Earth, marking a major milestone on humanity’s path back to the Moon. Artemis II was the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, taking astronauts on a historic journey to test critical systems, spacecraft performance and operations ahead of future lunar landings. The mission concluded with a successful splashdown this morning, with all astronauts reported to be in good health. We were proud to support the mission through the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, which we manage for NASA, that played a key role in tracking and communicating with the Orion spacecraft as it travelled hundreds of thousands of kilometres from Earth and back again. And our radio telescopes at Parkes and Mopra, and Mobile Mission Operations Centre, all provided support roles. The Artemis II mission is a watershed moment for a new generation of space explorers, scientists, engineers and STEM professionals who will shape the future of space exploration. With further Artemis missions ahead, including planned lunar surface missions, this achievement brings us one giant leap closer to humanity’s long‑term presence on the Moon and beyond. Congratulations to the Artemis II crew and to all the teams around the world who made this mission a success. 👏 📷 | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration