2026年4月10日，Artemis II的四人组机组于太平洋圣地亚哥附近太平洋时间下午5:00稍后返回，结束了为期10天、695,000英里（约1,118,000公里）的月球绕行任务。其最远距离达252,756英里（约406,770公里），比阿波罗13号的248,655英里（约400,170公里）纪录高4,101英里（约6,600公里），增加约1.65%。重返大气层时速度约24,000英里/小时（38,624公里/小时），热护罩温度约3,000°F（1,649°C），在22,000英尺（6,706米）开导引伞后，并在6,000英尺（1,829米）开三片主伞，速度降至约20英里/小时（32公里/小时）。
发射于4月1日在肯尼迪航天中心进行，使用322英尺（98米）高的Space Launch System。完成第2天的月球转移注入（translunar injection）后，接下来三天测试Orion系统、太空服流程、手动操控与修正燃烧。4月6日美东时间00:41，飞行器进入月球引力范围并接近月面约4,000英里（6,437公里）。艇上厕所出现污水排放故障，并在月背经历约40分钟通信中断，随后恢复并继续回报坑穴与峡谷等地质观察。
在较高高度时，机组首次完整看到月球背面，观测到伴随地球光照的月蚀、明亮的新生撞击坑及Aristarchus Plateau的绿色调。Crew提出为两个新月坑命名为Integrity与Carroll，并记录了多次陨石撞击闪光。科学团队指出，尽管地球每年有数千吨外来物质降落，月球因无大气环境使小型撞击也更具冲击力，成为未来基地建置的风险因素。任务回传影像、音讯与手绘记录；新型260兆位元每秒激光链路使下行速率快于既有无线电。再入前约30分钟与欧洲服务舱分离，并完成与国际太空站的广播测试，支持Artemis对月球南极（预计2028年前后）著陆准备。
On Apr 10, 2026, Artemis II’s four-person crew splashed down off San Diego shortly after 5:00 PM PT, ending a 10-day, 695,000-mile (about 1,118,000 km) Moon loop. It reached 252,756 miles (about 406,770 km), about 4,101 miles (about 6,600 km) farther than Apollo 13’s 248,655-mile (about 400,170 km) record, a 1.65% increase. Reentry started at about 24,000 mph (38,624 km/h), heat-shield temperatures around 3,000°F (1,649°C), then drogues at 22,000 ft (6,706 m) and mains at 6,000 ft (1,829 m) lowered speed to about 20 mph (32 km/h).
Launch began Apr 1 from Kennedy Space Center on a 322-foot (98 m) Space Launch System. After day-2 translunar injection, the next three days tested Orion systems, space-suit drills, manual controls, and correction burns. Entering lunar sphere of influence at 12:41 AM ET on Apr 6, the crew came within about 4,000 miles (6,437 km). A wastewater venting fault appeared in the toilet, and a roughly 40-minute blackout occurred on the far side, after which geological observations of craters and canyons resumed.
At high altitude, the crew saw the complete far side for the first time, a lunar eclipse with earthshine, bright young craters, and greenish tones on Aristarchus Plateau. They proposed names for two new craters—Integrity and Carroll—and recorded meteorite impact flashes. They noted that although Earth gets thousands of tons of extraterrestrial material annually, the Moon’s no-atmosphere environment lets even small impacts strike harder, a risk factor for future bases. They returned imagery, audio, and sketches; a 260-megabit-per-second laser link accelerated downlinks beyond prior radio. Before reentry they separated from the European Service Module about 30 minutes out, and completed ISS radio testing, and supported Artemis plans for south-pole preparations around 2028.