NASA’s Orion spacecraft has returned to planet Earth after completing its Artemis I test flight. Check details here.
Sunday, December 11 was a big day for NASA as its Orion spacecraft plunged into the Pacific Ocean after completing its Artemis I test flight. Announcing the same NASA said in a statement. , “NASA’s Orion spacecraft plunged into the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, at 9:40 a.m. PT Sunday after a record-breaking mission, traveling more than 1.4 million miles en route. circumnavigated the Moon and returned safely to Earth, completing the Artemis I test flight.”
Splashdown is the final milestone of the Artemis I mission that began with the successful launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on November 16, from Launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the 25.5 day timeframe, NASA tested Orion in the harsh environment of deep space before sending astronauts aboard the Artemis II.
“The Orion spacecraft collision – which occurred 50 years ago since the Apollo 17 landing on the Moon – is Artemis I’s remarkable achievement. From launching the world’s most powerful rocket to spacewalking orbiting the Moon and returning to Earth, this test flight is an important step forward in the Artemis Generation of lunar exploration,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“It would not have been possible without the extraordinary team of NASA. Over the years, thousands of individuals have poured their heart and soul into this mission, which is inspiring the world to work together to reach the unspoiled shores of the universe. Today is a huge win for NASA, USAour international partners and all of humanity,” he added.
During the mission, Orion made two flybys of the moon, arriving within 80 miles of the lunar surface. At the farthest distance on the mission, Orion traveled nearly 270,000 miles from our home planet, 1,000 times farther than Earth. Space station trajectory The earthto deliberately stress systems before the crew fly, the space research organization announced.
“Prior to entering Earth’s atmosphere, the crew module separated from its service module, which is the propulsion plant provided by ESA (European Space Agency). During the rotation. back, Orion endured temperatures as hot as half of the Earth’s surface. Sun at about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. In about 20 minutes, Orion slowed down from nearly 25,000 mph to about 20 mph as he dived with its parachute,” NASA said.
During the test flight, Orion stayed in space longer than any spacecraft designed for astronauts did without docking at the space station. While in a distant orbit of the moon, Orion surpassed the record for distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to carry humans, set earlier in Apollo 13.
Recovery teams are currently working to secure Orion for the journey home. In the coming days, Orion will head back to shore, where technicians will unload the spacecraft and deliver it by truck back to Kennedy. Upon arrival at Kennedy, the teams will open the hatch and unload several payloads, including Commander Moonikin Campos, astrobiology experiments, Snoopy, and official flight kits. Next, the capsule and its heat shield will be tested and analyzed over several months.
