India, April 11 -- For a brief, blazing moment above the Pacific Ocean, the sky itself seemed to burn. Encased in a sheath of superheated plasma, the Orion capsule tore through Earth's atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour, its heat shield enduring temperatures close to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside, four astronauts-Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen-sat strapped in, calm and composed after a journey few humans in history have experienced.

Minutes later, parachutes blossomed above the capsule, slowing its descent. At 8:07 p.m. Eastern time, it splashed into the Pacific Ocean, marking the triumphant end of Artemis II-a mission that carried humanity back into deep space for the first time since the era ...