Artemis II – Day 7: Goodbye Moon, Hello Earth (April 7, 2026)

A Day of Perfect Transition: From Lunar History to the Reality of Return

The crew woke up to the sounds of "Tokyo Drifting" by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry—236,022 miles from Earth and 36,286 miles from the Moon. The journey home had begun.

Highlights:

Departure from the Lunar Sphere of Influence

At 1:23 p.m., Orion officially crossed the 41,072-mile threshold from the Moon, exiting its gravitational sphere. From that moment on, it is Earth that "pulls" them in. A subtle yet symbolically powerful milestone—the Moon lets them go, and Earth reclaims them.

First Images of the Flyby

The White House and NASA shared the first photographs from the flyby: the "Earthset" (Earth sinking below the lunar horizon) and the solar eclipse as seen from Orion. Images destined to become icons of this mission.

Historic Call Between Spacecraft

The Artemis II crew held a 15-minute call with the Expedition 74 astronauts aboard the ISS—Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams, and Sophie Adenot. A conversation between humans at two very different points in space—something that has occurred very rarely in history.

Lunar Scientific Debriefing

At 3 p.m., the crew met with the ground-based science team to share their impressions of the flyby while the details were still fresh. Scientists are eager to analyze observations, images, and data regarding the six meteoroid impact flashes detected during the eclipse.

First Return Burn

At 8:03 p.m.—one hour ahead of schedule—Orion fired its thrusters for just 15 seconds, changing its velocity by 1.6 feet per second. Brief in duration, significant in meaning: the first of three correction burns that will guide the crew back home. Koch and Hansen monitored the systems during the maneuver.

The USS John P. Murtha is Underway

The recovery ship has already set sail for the rendezvous point in the Pacific, preparing for the final splashdown. The logistics of the return are in motion.

Preparing for the Physical Return

On Flight Day 8, the crew will test orthostatic tolerance garments—specialized clothing that helps maintain blood pressure and circulation during readaptation to Earth's gravity. After weeks in microgravity, the human body needs assistance remembering how to function under weight.