This image provided by NASA, the Artemis II crew captured this view the Moon and Earth are shown on Monday, April 6, 2026. (NASA via AP)2026-04-09T16:48:04Z 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.As the next-to-last day of their flight dawned Thursday, humanitys first lunar explorers in more than half a century were less than 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometers) from home with the odometer clicking down.We have to get back. Theres so much data that youve seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are so many more pictures, so many more stories, said pilot Victor Glover, adding that riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.Being cut off from all of humanity for nearly an hour while behind the moon was especially surreal, according to commander Reid Wiseman. Theres a lot that our brains have to process ... and it is a true gift, Wiseman said late Wednesday during the crews first news conference since before liftoff. While out of contact behind the moon Monday, Wiseman, Glover, Christina Koch and Canadas Jeremy Hansen became the most distant humans ever, clocking in at a record 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth before heading back. As they emerged from behind the moon, they experienced a wondrous total solar eclipse as the orb blocked the sun from their perspective. Launching from Florida on April 1 diminished the amount of illumination on the lunar far side, Glover noted, but the eclipse was the consolation prize and it was one of the greatest gifts. Read More Fridays reentry and Pacific splashdown off the coast of San Diego as dynamic and dangerous as liftoff now topped everyones minds. The recovery ship, USS John P. Murtha, was already at sea, with a squadron of military planes and helicopters poised to join the operation. Its the first time that NASA and the Defense Department have teamed up for a lunar crews reentry since Apollo 17 in 1972. Their Orion capsule will come screaming back, hitting the atmosphere at a predicted 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second or 23,840 mph (38,367 kph) not a record but still mind-bogglingly fast. Mission Control will be paying close attention to how the capsules heat shield holds up. During the only other Orion test flight to the moon in 2022 without a crew the heat shield suffered considerably more damage than expected from the 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) of reentry.Instead of replacing Artemis IIs heat shield, which would have forced another lengthy delay, NASA tweaked the capsules descent through the atmosphere to reduce the blisteringly hot exposure. Next years Artemis III and beyond will fly with redesigned heat shields. Artemis III will see astronauts practice docking their capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV in 2028 will attempt to land two astronauts near the moons south pole, setting the stage for what NASA hopes will be a sustainable lunar base. NASA officials have been loath to provide their risk assessment numbers for the nearly 10-day mission, acknowledging launch and entry as the biggest threats.Were down to the wire now, said NASAs Lakiesha Hawkins. Were down to the end of the mission, and obviously getting the crew back home and getting them landed safely, is a significant part of the risk thats still in front of us.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.