When will the Artemis II splashdown UK time? Here's when the crew will return to Earth and how you can watch live

NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch looking back at Earth. | NASA via Getty Images

NASA’s Artemis II mission will soon return to Earth, following a historic 10-day flight around the moon.

The agency’s first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years, the four person crew travelled deeper into space than anyone has ever gone before.

Aboard the Orion capsule, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen - who is from the Canadian Space Agency - are due to splash down off the coast of California later this evening.

Here’s what you need to know about their return, including the exact time they will splashdown in the UK and where you can watch live.

Artemis 2 splashdown time UK

The Artemis II crew will splash down at around 1.07am UK time. That’s around 8.07pm local time.

As with most of the mission, NASA will provide live coverage of the astronauts’ return in the Orion capsule which is expected to land off the coast of Southern California.

If you fancy tuning in, the official broadcast will begin at around 11.30pm in the UK (6.30pm EDT).

The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission will return to Earth this evening - or early tomorrow morning if you live in the UK. | NASA via Getty Images

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Where can I watch the Artemis 2’s return in the UK?

Just like the official launch, if you’re willing to stay up late there are plenty of opportunities for you to catch the crew splash down from space.

NASA’s official livestream of the Artemis II’s splashdown will be available to watch on platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and X, from 11.30pm in the UK (6.30pm EDT).

Return and watch the Artemis II splash down livestream here

You can also tune in via NASA+, the space agency’s own streaming platform which can be downloaded on Apple TV and Amazon Video.

Finally, you can watch the full, official NASA broadcast live on Netflix.

What happens after splashdown?

Once the astronauts have been returned safely to Earth, they will be shuttled out of the ocean by US Navy divers who will promptly deliver them to a helicopter, which will in turn transport them to the USS John P. Murtha.

When they are aboard the vessel, they will undergo medical evaluations before they will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston.