Artemis II Crew Module and Service Module Separation
art002m1201002333B (April 10, 2026) – A view from camera 3 one of the solar array wings on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft during the Orion Crew Module and Orion Service Module separation. The crew module continued on its path towards Earth while the service module harmlessly burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The Artemis II return trajectory was designed to ensure any remaining debris did not pose a hazard to land, people, or shipping lanes.