There wasn't a dry eye in mission control as the Artemis II astronauts safely returned in what NASA called a "perfect" splashdown.

Belinda and Jacinta relive the historic re-entry, and dig into the wild physics associated with blasting through Earth's atmosphere and plopping into the ocean.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.