Artemis II astronauts struggle to walk as gravity hits them after ‘bullseye’ Pacific Ocean splashdown following their historic moon mission

Video footage shows how Artemis II astronauts struggled to walk after their fiery plunge to Earth last night following their historic moon mission and crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

The spacecraft reached an incredible speed of 25,000 miles per hour before making a ‘bull’s-eye’ landing off the coast of San Diego, California, at 8:07 pm ET.

The four-person crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have completed a ten-day mission that will take them around the moon and farther than any human has ever traveled in space before.

NASA officials said the Artemis II mission was a complete success, with the capsule landing exactly where the space agency planned.

After being taken from the Orion crew module and flown by helicopter to the USS John P Murtha, the history-making space explorers were greeted with cheers from the crowds on board.

But when they got off the helicopters, it was clear that they were having trouble walking normally due to the time they spent in microgravity.

All four members of the team were supported by one person on each side, with a third helper pushing the wheelchair behind them if needed.

Although a few of the astronauts appeared to be leaning more heavily on support than others, there was no need for a wheelchair, and one even walked unaided and waved triumphantly to the personnel on board.

Victor Glover (left) and Christina Koch (right) after their successful descent following their historic lunar mission

The astronauts were all able to walk under their own power, but they had difficulty balancing and appeared to stagger slightly.

Astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of Artemis II, receives assistance from the flight deck after arriving aboard USS John P Murtha

The crew appeared to have exited the helicopters unsteady and staggering as their bodies adjusted to Earth’s gravitational pull after just over nine days in space.

But reassuringly for all the world to see, everyone was able to move forward under their own power.

Previous space flights, including the ten-month saga of stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, required medical personnel to carry the astronauts because they were unable to walk well due to the time they spent in microgravity.

The longer someone is in space, the harder it is for their brain to readjust to gravity when they return to Earth.

In the first few hours, astronauts often experience dizziness and even fainting spells, as well as balance problems and walking problems.

This is compounded by the fact that astronauts find their feet becoming more sensitive due to the days they spend without standing.

As the vestibular system (the system of the inner ear) adjusts to the relative weightlessness, they become nauseous, motion sickness, and lose feeling in their limbs.

Long-term effects such as loss of muscle mass and bone density are less likely to affect the Artemis II crew due to their relatively short time away from Earth.

Victor Glover (left) and Jeremy Hansen (right) after they and their crewmates were ejected from the Orion spacecraft following a splashdown

Pilot Victor Glover receives assistance from the flight deck after arriving aboard USS John P. Murtha

Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean on April 10 after a ‘perfect’ reentry, according to NASA officials

Astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch were seen waving and hugging NASA chief Jared Isaacman after being pulled from the water.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the lunar mission as ‘excellent’ and announced America’s intention to begin work on a successful moon landing and construction of a lunar base by 2028.

Isaacman said: ‘We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon. This is just the beginning.’

After being removed from the Orion crew module and transferred to the Navy ship John P Murtha, the astronauts were seen in good spirits waving to the cameras and hugging Isaacman before undergoing a standard post-flight medical exam.

The journey home began just after 7:30 p.m. Friday night, with the Orion crew module pulling away from the spacecraft’s service module.

The separation exposed the vehicle’s heat shield, which protected the four-man crew as they were exposed to temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit as they plunged into Earth’s atmosphere.

As the capsule angled into the atmosphere into a perfect orbit, NASA lost contact with the spacecraft for six minutes due to Orion colliding with the upper atmosphere, causing what scientists call ‘plasma accretion’.

After the radio blackout cleared as planned, Orion successfully deployed its parachutes and landed safely in the Pacific without incident.

A minor communications breakdown between the afloat astronauts and U.S. Navy rescue teams delayed the crew’s exit from the vehicle, but once flight surgeons managed to board the capsule, they were able to give all four astronauts a clean bill of health.

NASA deputy administrator Dr. Lori Glaze said her team was “thrilled” that the four astronauts returned home safely.

“We accomplished what we set out to do,” added Shawn Quinn, manager of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program. ‘It’s nice to be NASA and it’s nice to be an American today.’

President Donald Trump added his congratulations on Friday night and invited the crew to the White House, writing on Truth Social: ‘Looking forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll do this again and go to Mars next!’

Image: US Navy rescue teams reached the Orion space capsule minutes after the capsule touched down in the Pacific at 8:07 pm ET.

Pictured: NASA Artemis II crew, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover

Image: Image of the Artemis II spacecraft returning to Earth after its ten-day mission to orbit the Moon and break the human spaceflight distance record

The Artemis II mission began with a successful launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1.

A day later, the crew set off on a four-day journey to the Moon, where they would wander to the dark side and break Apollo 13’s decades-old record for the farthest distance it had ever traveled from Earth.

While the Apollo crew was 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles on the sixth day of their mission.

Astronauts also named two new craters discovered on the lunar surface while performing their close flights to the Moon; one of them was named after Carroll, the late wife of Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman.

NASA deputy administrator Amit Kshatriya said Artemis II was ‘the most important human space exploration mission in decades’.

‘I hope history is kind to us,’ he added.

NASA managers confirmed Friday night that the Artemis II flight crew was ‘happy and healthy.’ They added that the astronauts will head to the NASA space center in Houston on Saturday before spending time with their families.

The space agency’s focus will now be to review data from Artemis II before starting plans for Artemis III; This plan will also include a flyby of the Moon, but no landing.

Currently, NASA’s renewed plan for the moon includes sending an additional spaceflight, Artemis IV, as soon as 2028. This mission is expected to land on the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

According to Isaacman, this mission will also initiate work to build a permanent US moon base that will facilitate future human space travel and a manned mission to Mars.