Artemis II spacecraft splashes down in Pacific after sensational 25,000mph return to Earth

Nasa's Artemis II spacecraft has returned to Earth after completing its historic, record-breaking journey around the Moon. Just after 1am BST, the Orion module separated from the rest of the craft and plummeted down into the Pacific Ocean - after reentering our atmosphere at almost 25,000 miles per hour and enduring temperatures of 2,760C. It had earlier slowed down from that incredible speed to to just 20mph for a safe landing. The spacecraft must also cope with temperatures of up to 2,760C during re-entry. There had been concerns over the capsule's heat shield after the unmanned Artemis I test flight's own flaked off. But on Saturday - or Friday afternoon, at 7.07pm local time - the manned mission made it back home in one piece. Since Artemis II blasted off on April 1, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen have captivated the world with their extraordinary images of the Moon, the Earth - and their updates from their journey into space. The four eventually travelled further from Earth than any humans in history . They reached a maximum distance of approximately 252,760 miles from our planet on Monday, shattering a record that had stood for more than half a century. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say More to follow... Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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