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Artemis II Return: How to Watch/Stream Today's Re-Entry/Splashdown

Here's how to check out the return of the Artemis II live later today - including when/where to watch, what's expected to go down, and more.

After making history by traveling the farthest distance into space that's ever been traveled by humans (reaching 248,655 miles from Earth on April 6th, breaking the record previously set by Apollo 13 in 1970), NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are preparing to come back home. That day would be today, and we have what you need to know to check out the return of Artemis II live later today. Along with a rundown of just some of the many options you have to watch/stream (including the official NASA YouTube stream above) and how to stay connected via social media, we've also included a profile of the astronauts, NASA's timeline when it comes to what should be going down later today, and a look back at the astronauts discussing the mission three years ago during an interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert.

When & Where Can I Watch Artemis II Return to Earth? The historic moment will be running live on NASA+, Prime Video, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock, Roku, and more – with most kicking off coverage beginning at 6:30 pm ET (with the crew members expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 8:07 pm), though some may start streaming early. In addition, the broadcast networks and several news channels are set to go live with coverage. For example, CBS News is running live coverage tonight beginning at 7:30 pm ET.

How Can I Follow the Action on Social Media? You can follow @NASAArtemis on X, Facebook, and Instagram for real-time updates. Live mission coverage is available on NASA's YouTube channel.

What Can You Tell Me About the Astronauts? Following a look at the space-to-space call between the Artemis II and the International Space Station, you can check out the individual video profiles for astronauts Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen that were released by NASA:

Artemis II Return: NASA Offers Official Timeline for Re-Entry

As Artemis II nears its return to Earth, NASA teams on the ground are completing final preparations for Orion's re-entry and splashdown around 8:07 p.m. (5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, off the coast of San Diego.

The agency will continue to provide updates about the test flight during the daily mission briefing. Today's mission status briefing is at 3:30 p.m. and will stream on NASA's 24/7 coverage on the agency's YouTube channel.

During re-entry, the service module will separate around 7:33 p.m., about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. At 7:37 p.m., a final trajectory‑adjustment burn will fine‑tune the flight path before the spacecraft begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from departing hardware. Orion will reach its maximum velocity — approximately 23,864 mph — just before entry interface.

As Orion descends through about 400,000 feet, the spacecraft will enter a planned six‑minute communications blackout at 7:53 p.m. as plasma forms around the capsule during peak heating. The crew is expected to experience up to 3.9 Gs in a nominal landing profile.

After emerging from blackout, Orion will jettison its forward bay cover, deploy its drogue parachutes near 22,000 feet at 8:03 p.m., and then unfurl its three main parachutes around 6,000 feet at 8:04 p.m. to slow the capsule for splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

Within two hours after splashdown, the crew will be extracted from Orion and flown to the USS John P. Murtha. Recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters, and once aboard the ship, the astronauts will undergo post‑mission medical evaluations before returning to shore to board an aircraft bound for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Artemis II Rewind: Wiseman, Glover, Koch & Hansen Visit "Colbert"

To give you a better sense of just how far things have come, here's a look back at Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen visiting with CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from three years ago, as they made the case for the mission's importance:

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