Photo du jour: Artemis II splashdown party

Big Spring Park was packed Friday night to watch the Artemis II astronauts splashdown in the Pacific.

The big picture: It was an emotional capstone to the 10-day lunar mission that captivated the country.

• "Who would have thought that four individuals farther from each and every one of us than anybody ever was would actually remind us of the unity of spirit and purpose and the power of relationships and love and what that could do for the human race?" Rae Ann Meyer, acting director at Marshall Space Flight Center, told the crowd.

The bottom line: "The things that we're doing today will make it possible for humans to actually live and work on the lunar surface," Sharon Cobb, associate program manager for the Space Launch System, told Axios at the event.

• "Then what we learn from that will help us be able to take the next step, which is going to Mars," she said.