The four astronauts made an emotional return to Houston a day after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at the end of their 10-day lunar journey.

Amid what some call a new space race, the historic journey around the moon tested a spacecraft that had never before been flown by crew and collected data for future lunar ventures.

Artemis II live updates: Artemis II astronauts welcomed home in Houston after successful splashdown - The crew of Integrity waved and saluted for the cameras after a surviving the fiery plunge through

The Artemis program was officially named and announced by NASA in May 2019, when Artemis III was intended to land “the first woman and next man” on the lunar South Pole in 2024. Since then, the uncrewed Artemis I test flight launched in 2022, and Artemis II is complete.

After capturing the attention of a global audience, the crew of Nasa’s Artemis II mission around the Moon have returned to Earth safely, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Over the past eight days, the world has watched four intrepid explorers leave Earth, fly around the Moon, and make spaceflight history. The moments of reverence, camaraderie, and bravery we’ve witnessed since the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission have done wonders for my faith in humanity, but sadly, all good things must come to an end.

From ion engines to deep-space propulsion, here's the real science that connects NASA's tech with the TIE Fighter ships seen in "Star Wars."

Another name has been added to the growing list of dead and missing scientists.