CBS Sets ‘Artemis II Return to Earth’ Live Special for Friday Night

As the Artemis II astronauts prepare for their return to Earth on Friday, CBS will have eyes on the historic mission’s homecoming.

A CBS News Special Report, titled Artemis II Return To Earth, will air from 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET on CBS, CBS News 24/7 and CBSNews.com on Friday, following the crew’s return home with expert commentary on the momentous occasion.

Jericka Duncan will host the special and will be joined by astronaut Suni Williams and Lt. Col Dave Mahan in New York, CBS News’ Mark Strassmann and Bill Harwood in Houston, Tex., astronaut Nick Hague in Washington, D.C., and CBS News’ Carter Evans in San Diego, Calif.

The Artemis II’s Orion space capsule is scheduled to enter the Earth’s atmosphere southeast of Hawaii at 7:53 p.m. ET, and about 13 minutes later, it should touch down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. The spacecraft will be traveling at about 25,000 miles per hour in order to break through the Earth’s atmosphere and will reach temperatures upwards of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Earlier this week, the Artemis II astronauts made history as they reached a maximum distance from Earth of 252,756 miles on their trip around the moon, breaking the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by over 4,000 miles and making the four-person crew the humans to travel the farthest from Earth in history.

They also became the first people to see parts of the moon’s far side in person, getting within 4,067 miles of the surface on their closest descent.

CBS has pushed back its primetime lineup for Friday by a half hour on the East Coast in order to accommodate the special.

The revised primetime lineup for Friday will look as follows (except on the West Coast):

7:30-8:30 p.m. CBS News Special Report: Artemis II Return To Earth
8:30-9:30 p.m. Sheriff Country: Season 1 Episode 14: “Show of Force” – During Edgewater’s Blood Moon Festival, Sheriff Mickey races to stop a suspected serial killer targeting young women. Meanwhile, a shocking discovery propels Deputy Cassidy into the crosshairs of the case. Written by Jamie Conway and directed by Ruben Garcia.
9:30-10:30 p.m. Fire Country: Season 4 Episode 14: “Why Not Now?” – A day of celebration at the Edgewater rodeo erupts into chaos after a stampede of runaway horses endangers the crowd. Written by India Gurley and directed by Jason Hellmann.
10:30-11:30 p.m. Boston Blue: Season 1 Episode 14: “Blood Chemistry” – Sean and Jonah go undercover to track down a dangerous new threat affecting Boston’s young adults, forcing Sean to confront unresolved ties from his past along the way. Meanwhile, personal revelations and family concerns surface as the team navigates health scares, and growing public attention brings new challenges. Directed by Bosede Williams, with a story by Dave Metzger.