Lockheed Martin Orion completes Artemis II, ending 50-year crewed lunar hiatus

Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. The vessel carried four astronauts during the 10-day Artemis II mission.

This flight marked NASA’s first crewed voyage toward the Moon in over 50 years. The Artemis program intends to establish a long-term presence on the lunar surface.

Orion traveled nearly 250,000 miles to test deep-space systems. The successful splashdown validates the vehicle for future lunar landing missions.