Splashdown! Lockheed Martin-Built Orion Spacecraft Safely Returns Astronauts to Earth, Completing NASA's Artemis II Mission

First crewed deep space mission in 53 years validates Orion for future lunar exploration DENVER, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After traveling 694,481 miles to the Moon and back, the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-built Orion spacecraft has successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, completing NASA's Artemis II mission and marking a major milestone in humanity's return to deep space exploration. Following a 10-day journey around the Moon, Orion and its four-person crew dramatically re-entered Earth's atmosphere at speeds approaching 24,000 mph before deploying parachutes and splashing down off the coast of southern California.