San Diego Gears Up for Friday's Historic Artemis II Splashdown; Local Attractions Announce Space-Themed Events and Viewings

As the historic Artemis II mission concludes its journey around the moon, the spotlight is turning to San Diego as the astronauts make their way back to Earth and prepare for the Orion capsule to land in the Pacific Ocean — 50 miles off the city’s coast — on Friday, April 10.

This homecoming is a natural extension of San Diego’s ties to aerospace and as the birthplace of naval aviation. Today, that legacy lives on through the San Diego-based Navy crews who will serve as the primary recovery team for the Orion capsule.

As the splashdown occurs well beyond the horizon, there are several ways on land to celebrate the historic event, ranging from live-streamed Artemis watch parties at local museums to space-themed attractions.

• The San Diego Air & Space Museum showcases the history of aviation and aerospace with educational exhibits, flight simulators and vintage aircraft on display, including an actual Apollo 9 Command Module that played a critical role in testing the hardware for the 1969 moon landing. San Diego’s ties and contributions to advancements in flight and space exploration are celebrated in a wide range of exhibits, including the journey of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis to the pioneers recognized in the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, such as astronaut Ellen Ochoa. To cheer on the Artemis crew’s return, the museum is hosting the Artemis II Splashdown Family PJ Night Watch Party starting at 4 p.m. on April 10, where the live broadcast of Orion’s return to Earth is featured on a massive LED screen in the museum’s Pavilion of Flight.

   

• As the official NASA Artemis Week partner, the Fleet Science Center offers guests the opportunity to speak with NASA mission experts and San Diego-based scientists, and explore limited-run exhibits through April 11. The Artemis II Splashdown Event on April 10 features a screening of the film “Apollo 11” followed by a live NASA broadcast of Orion’s return to Earth. This partnership continues the center’s mission of educating the public about the cosmos and STEM fields since it opened in 1973. Named after local aviation pioneer Reuben H. Fleet, the center was the first museum in the world to combine interactive exhibits with a tilted IMAX Dome theater.

   

• The San Diego Symphony is joining in on the celebration with a festive concert showcasing the soundtrack of space on April 11 at the Jacobs Music Center.  “Space Junk – A Family Concert” features beloved scores from space-themed films and pop culture, beginning with a performance of Strauss’ “Sunrise Fanfare” from Also sprach Zarathustra (the theme music from “2001: A Space Odyssey”) and Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst. A highlight is the world premiere of Ivan Trevino’s Space Junk, featuring the award-winning wind quintet WindSync, coupled with illustrations by Seattle-based artist Becky Joy Aitken projected above the orchestra. The show concludes with John Williams’ legendary Star Wars theme.

   

• The spirit of exploration extends to the new Navy SEAL Museum San Diego, where the legacy of Naval Special Warfare meets space travel. Since the Apollo era, Navy teams have welcomed astronauts back to Earth. Visitors can explore this connection through high-tech and immersive exhibits like the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) experience that simulates an underwater mission, and an exhibition outlining decades of Naval Special Warfare’s history.

   

• The season for weekend guided tours at Palomar Observatory kicks off on April 11, where hour-long tours give guests an up-close view of the famous 200-inch Hale Telescope, once the largest effective optical telescope in the world. The observatory sits at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet above sea level in San Diego’s inland North County, and its first image of the heavens was captured by legendary astronomer Edwin Hubble in 1949. During docent-led tours, guests will learn about the engineering and construction of the telescope and its 14.5-ton Pyrex mirror, key discoveries about the universe scientists have made at the observatory, as well as how the telescope is used today.

   

• Astronomy enthusiasts can find plenty of places in San Diego County to stargaze, including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a certified International Dark Sky Park. The park is hosting celestial viewing events on April 18 in celebration of International Dark Sky Week, including a solar observation in the morning followed by a nighttime star party at the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground Campfire Center.

   

• Blast off into the ultimate family adventure at LEGOLAND California’s brand-new Lego Galaxy, a land that transports guests to outer space through interactive experiences and galactic food options and the all-new Galacticoaster, which marks the first new rollercoaster introduced at the park in over 20 years. These space-themed attractions offer a unique opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy a modern, brick-built journey through the stars.

   

• Mothership is a space-themed bar in the South Park neighborhood that takes Happy Hour to a different dimension with escapist tropical drinks and out-of-this-world design. The interior evokes a futuristic spacecraft and faraway planets, transporting guests to a distant galaxy. Visitors choose their own cocktail adventure through a menu where drinks range in strength from "cruising speed" to "ludicrous speed," which pair perfectly with fun appetizers that are all vegan-friendly.

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