How will NASA get the Artemis II crew safely back on Earth? Here’s the science behind splashdown

How will NASA get the Artemis II crew safely back on Earth? Here’s the science behind splashdown

PBS News April 11, 2026

While splashdown can be harrowing – the spacecraft will hurdle through the atmosphere faster than the speed of sound and reach temperatures in the thousands of degrees – NASA has been doing it for decades.