NASA has released a significant update on its Artemis 2 mission, confirming that astronauts are currently halfway through their journey back to Earth.

The Artemis 2 mission, regarded as one of NASA’s most ambitious space exploration efforts, aims to return humans to the Moon after nearly five decades. The spacecraft was successfully launched on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During the mission, the spacecraft performed a close lunar flyby, reaching approximately 4,000 miles from the Moon—marking a major milestone in the mission timeline.

After completing a nine-day journey, the crew is now en route back to Earth. NASA confirmed the update via its official post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the astronauts are progressing as planned.

The spacecraft is expected to make a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 8:07 p.m. today. Recovery operations are already in place, with the USS Jasper Murta stationed in the region to ensure a safe return.

To ensure a smooth landing, a total of 11 parachutes will deploy to slow the spacecraft before it touches down in the ocean.

Following the success of Artemis 2, NASA will move forward with the Artemis 3 mission, which is expected to achieve a historic milestone by landing humans directly on the Moon.