The Artemis II astronauts have brought back to Earth a historic journey that has taken them closer than ever before. The crew of Orion, named Integrity, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego after a 10-day mission around the Moon, setting a new distance record of over 252,756 miles from home.

During their flight, they witnessed Earth’s far side for the first time and experienced a lunar eclipse that no human had ever seen. NASA astronaut Victor Glover described the view as 'truly hard to describe. It is amazing.'

The crew also faced challenges such as venting wastewater issues but managed to propose names for two craters, one named Integrity after their spacecraft, and another in honour of Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.

They could see the rugged lunar terrain, particularly at the south pole, an area NASA aims to explore with future missions. The astronauts also observed unusual surface features and colors that were not visible from Earth, indicating potential volcanic activity according to NASA's Trevor Graff.

The mission has paved the way for further exploration of the Moon, including a possible base by 2028, as thousands of tons of extraterrestrial material hit the lunar surface each year.