NASA astronaut Victor Glover has safely returned to Earth after piloting the landmark Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in more than five decades.
The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10, bringing to a close a nearly 10-day journey that saw the crew travel as far as 252,756 miles from Earth — one of the farthest distances ever reached by humans in space.
Shortly after his return, Glover expressed gratitude in a message shared alongside a photo of his reunion with family. “Home, again! Mission complete. I hope we glorified God, humanity, our families and our terrific teams at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Time to share the good news!” he said.
The mission represents a major milestone for NASA’s Artemis programme, aimed at returning humans to the Moon and laying the groundwork for future deep space exploration.
Glover, a U.S. Navy captain and former International Space Station astronaut, played a key role in demonstrating both technical capability and crew readiness for upcoming lunar missions.
Artemis II is widely seen as a critical step toward renewed human exploration of the Moon, reinforcing international collaboration and advancing long-term ambitions for space travel.
