Coverage on cnn live showed the Artemis II crew splash down off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. ET, ending a 10-day lunar flyby that took them farther from Earth than anyone in human history.
The four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, were taken to the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha for medical checks, NASA said, and Mission Control in Houston erupted in cheers as crews retrieved them from the Orion capsule.
Commander Reid Wiseman reported, "What a journey. We are stable. Four green crewmembers," indicating all four were in good shape, NASA officials said, and Lori Glaze noted Christina Koch was the first to emerge from the capsule.
Mission managers described the flight as a "mission well accomplished" while flagging issues that need attention, including cracks and divots in the Avcoat heat shield, a service module valve redesign and a toilet malfunction, according to NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya and Orion program manager Howard Hu.
Howard Hu said tracking aircraft gathered imagery during reentry and divers photographed the heat shield shortly after splashdown, and that engineers will move the capsule to Kennedy Space Center for detailed scans and further assessment.
Flight Dynamics numbers released by Rick Henfling show the mission covered 700,237 miles and reached a peak velocity of 24,664 miles per hour, with an entry range of 1,957 miles and a landing within less than a mile of the target, officials said.
Onboard experiments include AVATAR organ chips made with tissue from the four astronauts, a study NASA expects will help understand human health in deep space, and the crew will complete postflight medical evaluations and an obstacle course within hours to assess reacclimation to Earth gravity.
Political Fallout Hits California Governor Race
Separately, CNN reported that Rep Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor faced abrupt setbacks as top Democrats withdrew endorsements and urged him to leave the race amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct reported by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Swalwell to end his bid, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on him to drop out, and Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego withdrew endorsements, according to their statements cited by CNN.
Swalwell’s campaign page on the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue stopped accepting donations, Californians for a Fighter suspended campaign activity, and several staffers quit, including campaign co-chair Rep Jimmy Gomez and adviser Courtni Pugh, CNN reported.
Swalwell posted a video saying the allegations are "flat false" and that he will spend time with family, defend himself with facts and pursue legal action where necessary, his statements said, while Gavin Newsom described the allegations as deeply troubling and urged they be taken seriously.
CNN said it interviewed four women who accused Swalwell of misconduct ranging from unsolicited messages and unwanted touching to rape by a former staffer, allegations Swalwell strongly denies, and contenders in the nonpartisan primary called on him to withdraw as voters prepare to begin casting ballots.
