Will the Weather Cooperate for the Artemis II Splashdown?

NASA has already cleared the biggest hurdles of the Artemis II mission, but there is one major task still ahead. Now that the mission is nearing its final phase, NASA will be monitoring the weather for Friday's splashdown. Here is what you need to know about the impending splashdown, including what weather conditions need to be present for it to be a go.

Artemis II Mission Nearing End of Its Journey to the Moon

After nearly 10 days in space, Artemis II is making its final approach to Earth. The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to splash down on Friday, April 10, at 5:07 pm PT. The return to Earth will happen about 60 miles off the coast of San Diego.

The four-person crew will re-enter Earth's atmosphere somewhere over the Indian Ocean. From there, Orion will track over to the Pacific, where all eyes will be on the waters near Southern California.

Just like the parameters in place for a space shuttle launch to be a go, NASA also has a strict protocol about what the weather needs to be to give approval for the splashdown to happen as scheduled. For example, there cannot be any precipitation or thunderstorms within 35 miles of the splashdown zone. All significant wave height also needs to be less than six feet. Additionally, wind speeds need to be under 29 mph.

The threat of lightning, rough seas, or severe storms within the vicinity will automatically delay the splashdown. Mission controllers back at NASA headquarters will continue to monitor the weather in the minutes leading up to reentry.