Over the past eight days, the world has watched four intrepid explorers leave Earth, fly around the Moon, and make spaceflight history. The moments of reverence, camaraderie, and bravery we’ve witnessed since the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission have done wonders for my faith in humanity, but sadly, all good things must come to an end.

A Virtual Telescope Project livestream will track NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft as it races back toward Earth. Here's how to watch it live.

One photo of Earth, taken Thursday by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion window, shows the planet backlit, with auroras visible at the top right and bottom left, Lakiesha Hawkins, deputy director for NASA’s Artemis program, said Friday during a news conference.

NASA's Artemis II mission is nearing its end as the Orion spacecraft prepares for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

Artemis 2's Orion capsule will hit Earth's atmosphere at nearly 25,000 mph on April 10. Here's how it will survive the fiery trip.

The Artemis II astronauts are nearing Earth after a historic journey, preparing for splashdown off the California coast. Track the mission live.

NASA spokesperson Lauren Low told PolitiFact that one of the reasons Earth appears duller is because the new photo was taken at night, with only moonlight lighting the planet. The 1972 photo was taken in direct sunlight. The two images were also processed differently, she said.

"The location and time of our Artemis II splashdown are dynamic as mission milestones are reached," a NASA spokesperson said.

HOUSTON (AP) — Drawing ever closer to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts tidied up their lunar cruiser for its upcoming “fireball” return and reflected on their historic journey around the moon, describing it as surreal and profound.