The first astronauts to journey around the Moon in more than 50 years are coming home tonight. And if you’re on the California coast, you may just catch history in person.
The Orion spacecraft’s four-person crew — the first astronauts to journey around the Moon in more than 50 years — will splash down off the coast of San Diego on April 10 at just past 8 p.m. EDT / 5:07 p.m. PDT.
After 10 extraordinary days in space that included a lunar flyby breaking every human distance record in history, Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are finally coming home — and they’re landing right in our backyard.
What’s Happening and When
Here’s the sequence of events leading up to splashdown: At 6:33 p.m. PDT, the crew module separates from the service module. At 6:53 p.m. PDT, the capsule enters the atmosphere — and for about six minutes, all communications with the crew will go dark as extreme heat creates a plasma layer around the capsule. Then, 11 parachutes will deploy in sequence, slowing the capsule from nearly 25,000 mph to just 20 mph for a gentle landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Splashdown is scheduled for approximately 8:07 p.m. ET — roughly 60 miles off San Diego — weather permitting.
After that, within two hours of splashdown, the crew will be flown by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha, undergo medical checks, and then travel back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Can You See It From Shore?
The honest answer: probably not directly — but don’t let that stop you from trying.
Francisco Contreras, an Oceanside resident and board member of the San Diego Astronomy Association, told CBS 8: “I’m going to try. I would say, head to the coast. Because it’s so high up and so far away, you should be able to see it from the coast; you don’t have to get close to San Clemente, I don’t think. As long as you can have a clear view northwest, that would be your best chance.”
Your best viewing spots along the Southern California coast are any beach with an unobstructed northwest horizon — Oceanside, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Ocean Beach, or Point Loma. Look northwest toward the horizon around 5 p.m. PDT and watch for what could be a bright streak of light cutting through the sky as the capsule re-enters the atmosphere.
Watch Parties and Events in San Diego
If you’d rather guarantee you don’t miss a second of it, San Diego has you covered.
The San Diego Air and Space Museum is hosting an Artemis II Splashdown Family PJ Party starting at 4 p.m. on Friday. Guests will watch the live broadcast of Orion’s return on a massive LED screen in the Pavilion of Flight. The event is included with general admission, and those arriving at 4 p.m. or later get half-price entry.
The Fleet Science Center in San Diego is also hosting ARTEMIS Week through Saturday — a series of limited-time exhibits and opportunities to engage with NASA experts and scientists in celebration of the mission.
How to Stream It Live at Home
You don’t need to leave your couch to witness history.
Netflix is streaming the full splashdown broadcast live as part of its NASA+ programming, with coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. PDT — no extra subscription required beyond your existing membership.
The broadcast will include live commentary from the recovery team, the USS John P. Murtha captain, and Navy divers on standby in the Pacific.
You can also stream live on NASA’s YouTube channel, NBC News NOW (free on any device), PBS NewsHour, and NASA.gov.
Why Tonight Matters
It is the first time that NASA and the Defense Department have teamed up for a lunar crew’s reentry since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Everything about tonight — the Navy recovery operation, the parachute sequence, the heat shield — is a test run for the lunar landings that follow. Artemis III will attempt to land astronauts on the Moon’s south pole as early as next year.
Tonight, for just a few minutes at 5:07 p.m., the Pacific Ocean off San Diego will be the center of the universe.
Don’t miss it. 🌙
Sources: NASA, CBS 8 San Diego, FOX 5 San Diego, Netflix Tudum, Al Jazeera, Space.com, PBS NewsHour, San Diego Air and Space Museum — April 10, 2026
