The four astronauts who flew in NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon have splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean after a flawless return.

The crew is now safely aboard a waiting ship and recovering from a nine-day voyage that took them further from Earth than any humans in history.

Their Orion spacecraft was travelling at more than 24,000 mph (38,600 km/h) when it hit the Earth's upper atmosphere and its heatshield was subjected to temperatures half as hot as found on the surface of the Sun.

The successful return clears the way for the next stage of the Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the lunar surface and ultimately build a permanent base on the Moon.

The intense heat meant the capsule, named Integrity, lost contact with mission control in Houston for six minutes during the descent.

However, cheers erupted when Commander Reid Wiseman's voice was heard saying: Houston, Integrity here. We hear you loud and clear.

As the mission's moment of maximum jeopardy passed, the spacecraft's red-and-white parachutes opened, and the capsule descended gracefully through the sky.

Good main chutes! the NASA commentary enthused repeatedly until the capsule beautifully splashed down into the ocean.

A perfect bull's eye splashdown for Integrity and its four astronauts, NASA commentator Rob Navias declared shortly after landing.

The astronauts - Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen - were carefully extracted from the capsule and flown by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for medical evaluations.

Nasa announced they would fly to Houston to reunite with their families on Saturday.

As they waited on the ship's deck, they were observed smiling and chatting while posing for photos.

President Donald Trump welcomed them home, describing the entire trip as spectacular, and extended an invitation for them to visit the White House.

The timing of their first public appearance has yet to be confirmed by NASA.

NASA’s Artemis program is focused on increasing Moon exploration efforts, targeting a Moon landing for the first time since 1972 and planning for future Mars missions.

While today's return does not place boots on the Moon, it does confirm that the technology functions, the trajectory is accurate, and the crew can handle it. The foundation has been laid, but challenges lie ahead.