![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2026\/04\/260410_2356utc_goes18_visible_glmFlashExtentDensity_glmFlashPoint_cursor_sample.png\")
<\/a>GOES-18 Visible image at 2356 UTC on 10 April, with an overlay of GOES-18 GLM Flash Extent Density (blue to red pixels) and GLM Flash Points (white dots) at 2355 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>As the Artemis II mission (which launched on 01 April<\/strong><\/a>) was coming to its successful end late in the day on 10 April 2026, the Orion<\/strong><\/a> crew module “Integrity” approached the designated landing site off the coast of San Diego, California. The Orion module generated immense heat (up to 5000\u00b0F or 2760\u00b0C) and a very bright glow as it was re-entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere — and at the point of peak heating (which occurred at an altitude around 204000 ft or 62 km) the GOES-18 (GOES-West)<\/em>\u00a0GLM<\/strong><\/a> instrument interpreted that bright re-entry signature as a southwest-to-northeast oriented streak of lightning at 2355 UTC (above)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n A larger-scale image (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed that the GOES-18 GLM signature was located over the East Pacific Ocean about midway between Hawai`i and southern California.<\/p>\n GOES-18 Visible image at 2356 UTC on 10 April, with an overlay of GOES-18 GLM Flash Extent Density (blue to red pixels) and GLM Flash Points (white dots) at 2355 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A toggle between GOES-18 Infrared, Visible and Visible + GLM Flash Extent Density \/ Flash Point images (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed that there was no deep convection in that area — so the GLM signatures were not associated with any meteorological features.<\/p>\n<\/a>