NASA’s Orion capsule is on its return trek toward Earth on Sunday for a splashdown off the Mexican island of Guadalupe at 12:39 p.m. Eastern time.
NASA launched the Artemis I mission as a major step in its efforts to send humans to the moon. The Orion spacecraft spent nearly 26 days in space and had a 1.4-million-mile journey around the moon.
WATCH: NASA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ARTEMIS I MOON ROCKET
Orion’s capsule is unmanned but contains a simulated crew of three mannequins. One of the mannequins is named “Commander Moonikin Campos.” The name came from a public contest to name the mannequin and is in dedication to Arturo Campos, a NASA electrical power subsystem manager who helped safely bring Apollo 13 back to Earth in 1970.
This historic three-week test flight will provide NASA the data it needs to understand how to implement a manned mission that would lead to the first long-term presence on and around the moon. NASA plans to use the moon mission for humanity’s next giant leap — sending the first astronauts to Mars.
Solar wings are being moved into position ahead Orion’s crew module separating from the @ESA service module. We’re now 10 minutes from separation. 5000 miles / 8000 km from Earth. pic.twitter.com/5KH1s84Nup
— Orion Spacecraft (@NASA_Orion) December 11, 2022
Reentry of the spacecraft will be one of the most critical phases, testing whether its newly designed heat shield will withstand rising temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Orion will perform a never-before-seen “skip-entry” maneuver entering Earth’s atmosphere at a shallow angle, which will protect future Artemis astronauts on their return to Earth and allow for a more precise landing.
“It’s essentially like throwing a football 300 yards and hitting a penny,” Eric Coffman, Orion propulsion senior manager at Lockheed Martin, which built Orion under contract with NASA, said of the reentry maneuver.
“Orion is coming in hot — about 5,000 degrees F, half as hot as the Sun!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson tweeted just before splashdown.
? @NASA_Orion is coming in hot — about 5,000 degrees F, half as hot as the Sun!
Live coverage of the Orion spacecraft’s return to Earth will begin at 11am ET, with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Guadalupe Island at 12:39pm ET.
Tune in at https://t.co/EtviRX4eKU pic.twitter.com/HihcJpI0fb
— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) December 11, 2022
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NASA will provide live coverage on its website.
