NASA's Artemis II crew safely returns to Earth

The astronauts of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Artemis II mission have splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 10-day flight around the moon.

The capsule safely splashed down off the coast of San Diego, marking the end of a historic mission. The astronauts have traveled a record-breaking distance from Earth, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

The mission carried four astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, who became the first Canadian to fly to the moon.

The crew has been taken to a rescue ship for medical evaluation. They were greeted with cheers as they were lifted out of the capsule at Mission Control in Houston.

“It was an amazing trip, we’re doing well,” the crew commander said.

The Artemis program, which launched in 2019, aims to return humans to the Moon. Despite technical challenges, the mission, which used Orion and the Space Launch System, was deemed a success.