Astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission returned to Earth, completing the first crewed journey around the Moon in more than 50 years on Friday.

The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. Recovery teams were stationed in advance and moved to secure the capsule before bringing the crew aboard.

On board were NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Moments before re-entry, mission commander Wiseman radioed mission control, saying: “We got a great view of the Moon out window 2, looks a little smaller than yesterday.” Mission control responded: “Guess we’ll have to go back.”

The return marked a test for the Orion spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, as it faced conditions associated with a lunar re-entry. During the 13-minute descent, the capsule entered the atmosphere at high speed, with temperatures on its exterior reaching about 2,760 degrees Celsius, forming a plasma layer that temporarily disrupted communication.

Contact resumed as parachutes deployed, slowing the spacecraft before it landed in the ocean.

Recovery crews later opened the hatch and began assisting the astronauts out of the capsule. The crew reported communication issues during re-entry but were otherwise in good condition.

Speaking from a US Navy recovery ship, NASA chief Jared Isaacman said: “We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon, bringing them back safely and are set up for a series more.”

The four astronauts had launched just over a week earlier from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning a 10-day mission that took them farther from Earth than any humans since the Apollo era.

The crew travelled around the far side of the Moon before returning.

The mission is being assessed as a test flight for future lunar missions, including Artemis IV, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon. Engineers are expected to review data related to the capsule’s heat shield, navigation systems and life-support technology.

The re-entry phase included a communication blackout caused by heat buildup around the spacecraft.

The mission also marked several firsts. Glover became the first person of colour to travel around the Moon, Koch the first woman and Hansen the first non-American to complete such a journey.

During the mission, the crew described features of the lunar surface and observed a solar eclipse as well as meteorite impacts.

Reflecting on the journey, Wiseman said: “What we really hoped in our soul is that we could, for just a moment, have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet in a very special place in our universe”.

“We should all cherish what we have been gifted.”

NASA also marked each day of the mission by sending music to the crew. On Friday, the astronauts woke up to the songs Run to the Water by Live and Free by Zac Brown Band.