The four astronauts who participated in Nasa's Artemis II mission around the Moon have returned safely from a nine-day trip that took them further from Earth than any other humans in history. The crew's Orion spacecraft was travelling at over 24,000mph (38,600km/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 heat caused the capsule to lose contact with mission control in Houston for six minutes during the descent. The astronauts, named Integrity, were removed from the capsule and taken to the USS John P Murtha, where they will undergo medical evaluations. The safe return clears the way for the next stage of the Artemis programme, which aims to land humans on the lunar surface and eventually establish a permanent base on the Moon.