Artemis II Astronauts Are Headed Home. Here's How They Don't Incinerate.

After a lunar joyride that probably made their in-flight entertainment look pretty dull, the four astronauts of Artemis II are finally headed back to Earth. Their highly anticipated splashdown is slated for Friday, 8:07 PM Eastern US time, just off the sunny coast of San Diego. Or, if you're across the pond, 1:07 AM BST on Saturday. Because space travel waits for no one's sleep schedule.

The Fiery Return

Now, returning from the Moon isn't quite as simple as pulling into the driveway. The entire splashdown sequence clocks in at a brisk 42 minutes, kicking off when the European Service Module — the spacecraft's trusty engine and life support system — decides it's time to part ways with the Orion capsule. Think of it as ditching your rental car just before you pull into your own garage.

This re-entry and splashdown are, by all accounts, the most dangerous part of the whole shebang. The Orion capsule will be hurtling back into our atmosphere and hitting temperatures that would make a blacksmith sweat: nearly 2,760 degrees Celsius. For context, that's roughly half the surface temperature of the Sun. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying. You'd certainly hope they packed extra-strength sunscreen.