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Follow the historic 10-day mission of NASA’s Artemis II Thursday — with the most dangerous part of its journey on the horizon.

The capsule will plunge through the atmosphere as it heads back to Earth, where it will be scorched by temperatures half as hot as the sun’s surface.

On Wednesday, the Artemis II’s astronauts — Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen and pilot Victor Glover — said “the pinnacle of the mission” was when they named a lunar crater after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020.

“It’s when we were the most forged, the most bonded,” he said of the emotional moment.

The Orion crew began their approach back to Earth Tuesday, the day after they had their landmark flyby of the moon, breaking the record set by Apollo 13 more than 50 years ago.

Artemis II is slated to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego Friday night around 8 p.m. EST.

Follow the Post’s live updates for the latest news, photos, reactions and more from the historic launch.

Artemis II crew hints it’s returning with fantastic secrets and ‘stories’ from space

By Natalie O'Neill

The sky’s the limit to their space secrets.

The Artemis II crew says it is returning from humanity’s farthest galactic journey with cosmically cool “stories” and dazzling information that’s yet to be revealed.

Artemis II view
The view of earth from Artemis II. NASA/AFP via Getty Images

“There’s so much data that you’ve seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us,” pilot astronaut Victor Glover said from outer space this week. “There’s so many more pictures, so many more stories, and, gosh, I haven’t even begun to process what we’ve been through.

"We have to get back," he said, according to NPR.

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Astronauts offer unifying message about appreciating life 'on a fragile planet'

By Caitlin McCormack
The NASA Artemis II crew, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover, embrace inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home following a flyby of the far side of the Moon on April 7, 2026. NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. REFILE - CORRECTING DATE FROM "APRIL 6" TO "APRIL 7". TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Cmdr. Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover embrace inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home to Earth Wednesday. via REUTERS

The Artemis II astronauts haven't let their space travels shake their perspective on how "fortunate" they are to live on Earth — and implored all to "create solutions together instead of destroying."

Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, the lone Canadian packed in the shuttle with three other Americans, reflected on the privilege of venturing into outer space, but refused to let it alter his appreciation for his home planet.

"We're very fortunate to live on planet Earth, and another perspective I've sort of learned through others in life is that our purpose on the planet as humans is to find joy, to find joy in lifting each other up, to create solutions together instead of destroying," Hansen explained.

"And when you see it from out here, it doesn't change.

"It absolutely reaffirms it. It's like seeing living proof."

Artemis mission specialist says 'pushing robotics technology' is 'really hard' in space

By Caitlin McCormack
This handout picture released on April 8, 2026 by NASA, shows the Orion spacecraft on the sixth day into the Artemis II mission, photographed from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings, on April 7, 2026. During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the Moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity. "That was definitely impact flashes on the moon. And Jeremy (Hansen) just saw another one," mission commander Reid Wiseman reported on April 6, 2026 while flying around the Moon, the first such journey by humans in more than half a century. (Photo by Handout / NASA / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / NASA" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
The Orion spacecraft photographed from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings on April 7, 2026. NASA/AFP via Getty Images

The Artemis II astronauts didn't shy away from mentioning the hurdles they've had to face during their mission to the moon -- with one noting "it's really hard out here" during Wednesday's press conference.

Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, the sole Canadian on the four-person crew, celebrated "the beauty" of the Artemis program's ambition to "set big goals" and actually "get it done."

Still, Hansen admitted during an interstellar briefing that they've had some difficulty testing all of the intricate robotics.

"It's really hard out here," he said. "We're a long way from home, and we've been learning the entire journey, we're watching mission control learn.

"The final test is when you get this hardware in space, and it's a real doozy."

The shuttle is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego Friday.

Artemis II crew says ' the pinnacle of the mission' was moment they dedicated crater to commander's late wife

By Caitlin McCormack
NASA

Artemis II Cmdr. Reid Wiseman highlighted the emotional moment his fellow crew members dedicated a lunar crater to his late wife as "the pinnacle of the mission."

During a press conference from the shuttle, which started its approach back to Earth on Tuesday, Wiseman reflected on the "powerful moment" that brought the four-person team to tears.

He explained the other three astronauts pitched the plan to name a crater after his wife, Carroll Wiseman, long before last week's liftoff.

He easily agreed to it, but admitted even then that he wouldn't be able to give the speech dedicating the crater to her.

Couple standing on beach.
Wiseman pictured with his late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. NASA
April 7, 2026, Orion Capsule, Outer Space: Circles drawn on the lunar surface show the two craters the Artemis crew has requested to name seen through the Orion spacecraft window, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II flyby of the far side of the Moon. The rings of the Orientale basin are seen in the bottom right, the top crater is proposed to be named the Carroll Crater in honor of mission commanders Reid Wiseman’s late wife, the second crater was chosen as Integrity Crater after their spacecraft. (Credit Image: © Nasa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire)
Wiseman said his three fellow astronauts pitched the plan to name a crater after Carroll long before last week's liftoff. ZUMAPRESS.com

When the time came to dub the crater on Tuesday, Wiseman said the crew "pretty much all broke down."

“That was the pinnacle of the mission," he said.

"It’s when we were the most forged, the most bonded."

Carroll Wiseman died of cancer in 2020. She and Reid shared two daughters.

Artemis II astronauts wore top-of-the-line Omega wristwatches around the moon -- and one slipped on an old-school NASA icon

By Alex Oliveira

The Artemis II crew has been tracking their time away in high style with analog-digital Omega wristwatches designed specifically for space travel -- but one of the astronauts also appears to have slipped on the same mechanical Speedmaster used during Apollo.

All four astronauts have been seen sporting Omega X-33 Speedmasters since they suited up ahead of Artemis II's April 1 launch, with NASA confirming to The Post that each crew member was given the "standard-issue" watch.

The Artemis II crew poses for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home.
The Artemis astronauts were each issued an Omega Speedmaster X-33. NASA via Getty Images

The watch dates back to the 1990s when they were designed specifically for astronauts, and combine highly-accurate quartz-powered hands over a digital screen -- with the analog face taking over if the frigid conditions of raw space freeze the digital face, according to the National Air and Space Museum.

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Artemis II will face its most dangerous task yet — safely touching down on Earth

By Alex Oliveira

The most dangerous part of Artemis II’s 10-day mission is fast approaching — when the capsule plunges through the atmosphere on its journey back to Earth and is scorched by temperatures half as hot as the sun’s surface.

The crew’s survival through that inferno will depend on Orion’s heat shield, a 16.5-foot-wide dome on the bottom of the spacecraft designed to slough away at controlled rates as they plummet 25,000 mph and endure temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The heat shield of the Orion spacecraft after being removed for inspection.
The heatshield was left cracked and pockmarked after its 2024 reentry -- and it wasn't supposed to be. NASA

But the mission’s heat shield design doesn’t have a clean record — the shield on the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 was left pocked with over 100 cracks and abrasions where the material “chipped away unexpectedly.”

“The unexpected behavior of the [shield material] creates a risk that the heat shield may not sufficiently protect the capsule’s systems and crew from the extreme heat of reentry on future missions,” a 2024 NASA assessment of the Artemis I heat shield read, according to Spacenews.com.

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NASA drops official wake-up playlist for the Artemis II crew during lunar mission

By Nadine Bourne

Rise and Shine.

NASA shared the official playlist that the Artemis II astronauts listen to while thousands of miles away from home.

It's a tradition for NASA's ground control to play snippets of songs at designated times to wake up astronauts on missions.

Midway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, pause to take a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft. NASA

Songs include "Sleepyhead" by Young & Sick, "Green Light" by John Legend (ft. Andre 3000), "In a Daydream" by Freddy Jones Band, "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan, "Working Class Heroes" (Work) by Cee Lo Green, "Tokyo Drifting" by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry, and "Good Morning" by Mandisa and TobyMac.

Earlier today, the crew shared images of the Milky Way as they make their back towards Earth.

Artemis II crew capture majestic Milky Way on way back to Earth

By Carly Ortiz-Lytle

The Artemis II crew captured majestic views of the Milky Way galaxy on the way back to Earth.

The Milky Way galaxy as seen from the Orion. NASA/AFP via Getty Images

Stellar Artemis II photos taken with old-model Nikon worth about $1,000: 'Proven technology'

By Alex Oliveira

Most of the out-of-this-world photos being beamed home from Artemis II were taken with an old-model Nikon camera that can be bought for about $1,000.

Christina Koch in the Orion mockup, wearing a headset and holding a camera with a large lens.
NASA traded in the legendary Hasselblad model it used on Apollo missions years ago for the Nikon D5 DSLR. NASA/James Blair

NASA traded in the legendary Hasselblad model it used on Apollo missions years ago for the Nikon D5 DSLR — a classic digital single-lens-reflex camera first released in 2016.

The Nikon was carefully selected for its proven track record as a workhorse space camera, as well as its extraordinary ability to pick up detail even in extreme darkness, Nikon’s top NASA consultant told The Post on Tuesday.

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Artemis II leaves moon’s gravitational pull, starts journey back to Earth after snapping historical pics

By Alex Oliveira

The Artemis II Orion capsule has left the moon’s gravitational pull, beginning its journey back to Earth. The crew, having set a new distance record in space, is now “falling home” and will accelerate before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday. They are expected to reach Earth at 25,000 mph.

Orion spacecraft in space, with the red NASA logo visible on its side and a blue-and-white patterned section, illuminated against the dark backdrop of space.
The Orion spacecraft Nasa/UPI/Shutterstock

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Astronaut Christina Koch's 'thirst traps from space' set social media ablaze

By Reda Wigle

It’s the zero-gravity gun show.

Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch set hearts aflutter and the internet ablaze with an image of her enviable bicep.

Christina Koch in the Orion Mockup, holding a camera and wearing a headset.
The pic, originally shared by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on Facebook, was taken last summer. NASA/James Blair

Lauded by fans as a “thirst trap from space,” the incendiary image shows Koch wearing a headset and holding a camera, her toned arm in full glory.

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Nutella gets unexpected NASA plug with jar floating in zero gravity during Artemis II livestream

By Allison Lax

Nutella superfans already know the chocolate-hazelnut spread tastes out of this world — now, it’s actually traveled there.

In what some internet users are calling “the greatest free advertising moment in history,” per Fox News, a tub of the tasty treat was recently seen defying gravity aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission while moving across the spacecraft’s kitchen in its livestream.

Astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch aboard the Orion spacecraft with a floating jar of Nutella.
The stray jar of Nutella floated into the livestream of NASA/AFP via Getty Images

The deliciously random occurrence took place around four minutes before 2 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, April 6, when the four astronauts of the mission broke the record for the farthest any human being has ever traveled from Earth — 252,752 miles, as reported by Futurism.com. Previously, this record had been set by NASA’s Apollo 13 mission in 1970.

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