Artemis II astronauts are returning to Earth after a historic lunar flyby, setting a new record for human spaceflight.

The astronauts on NASA's Artemis II moon mission are scheduled to land on Earth on Friday. But their re-entry is one of the riskiest parts of the mission, and the Orion spacecraft has known design flaws.

Officials with NASA gave an update Thursday on the re-entry process for the Artemis II mission ahead of Friday's planned splashdown.

NASA mission managers hold a briefing as the crew prepares for tomorrow night's scheduled splashdown. The Artemis II team is finishing a historic 10-day lunar journey, marking the first time humans have seen the Moon up close since 1972.

Artemis II will splashdown back on Earth Friday after a stunning, history-making mission to the moon. Trump raged at Fox News to take a host 'off the air'... and oof, it revealed a lot Husband’s arrest in disappearance of American woman in the Bahamas puts his account under scrutiny The original show was a sensation during the first Trump presidency.

On Wednesday, two days after their moon flyby, the crew of the Artemis II mission settled in for a day of preparation to return to Earth.

The Artemis II crew prepared for their return home and NASA inspected the exterior of the Orion spacecraft, which is scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California on Friday.

NASA officials provide the latest on the Artemis II mission from Johnson Space Center. Following a historic lunar flyby and record distance from Earth, the crew of four is testing radiation shielding and manual piloting for Friday’s splashdown.