Where to Watch the Artemis II Splashdown! – April 10, 2026

^{Photo: NASA}

Get ready to witness a major moment in space exploration!

On Friday, April 10, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission will return to Earth after traveling around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. Families can follow along live as the spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere, deploys its parachutes, and splashes down in the ocean.

Don’t miss this rare chance to see real-time spaceflight history unfold right before your eyes!

Where to Watch the Artemis II Splashdown with Kids in Southern California

🚀 Columbia Memorial Space Center | Downey, CA

Head over to our favorite neighborhood space center for a full evening of cosmic fun!

The Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey is hosting a live watch party at 4pm. Visitors can ask questions, enjoy the event, and witness this historic moment with other space enthusiasts!

Then, stay for Astronomy Night from 7-9pm where they’ll have telescopes for viewing, a special guest speaker, and complimentary coffee (thanks to Cosmos & Coffee).

Both events are free and open to all ages.

🚀 San Diego Air & Space Museum | San Diego, CA

The San Diego Air & Space Museum is hosting a Family PJ Night Watch Party starting at 4pm. Watch the return on a massive LED screen while kids explore hands-on activity stations starting at 4:30pm.

Activities include:

• Chocolate heat shield experiments
• Parachute and safe-landing challenges
• Stomp rocket launches
• Robotics and engineering builds
• 3D pen design creations
• Blackout poetry
• Food & Drinks

This event is included with museum admission. Go earlier in the day and save your receipt to join the PJ Party. Half-priced admission will be available for those arrive at 4pm or later.

🚀 Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA

The Fleet Science Center is hosting a mutli-day celebration with ARTEMIS Week from April 9-11. Explore limited-time ARTEMIS exhibits and activities. The Giant Dome Theater will be showing the splashdown live (tickets are already sold out).

More Ways to View the Splashdown

^{The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Image Credit: NASA}

You can still catch every moment from home through NASA’s official broadcast.

Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego happens around 5:07 p.m. PDT

Keep the Space Fun Going!

^{Photo: Discovery Cube OC in Santa Ana, CA}

Artemis Adventures Exhibit
Discovery Cube OC, Santa Ana

Did you know kids can have their very own Artemis adventure right here in Orange County? The Discovery Cube in Santa Ana features the Artemis Adventures exhibit where kids get to drive a remote-controlled lunar rover and explore what it’s like to navigate the moon, just like real astronauts!

The Official Artemis II Watch Party Guide

Check out the NASA’s official Watch Party Planning Guide for coloring pages, Artemis drawing tutorial, educational videos and more!

Categories: Blog

This post was written by Kidsguide