Artemis II Spacecraft to Make Historic Splashdown Landing

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Set to Return to Earth on April 11

The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the crew, is scheduled to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast at 00:07 GMT on April 11. This marks the final stage of the Artemis II mission, which has seen NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen journey beyond any previous human distance from Earth during their trip around the moon.

The spacecraft’s return to Earth is a critical moment for the mission, as it tests systems that will be used in future crewed moon landings. Recovery teams will retrieve the crew by helicopter and transfer them to the USS John P Murtha, an amphibious ship leading the operation.

NASA has set strict conditions for splashdown, including wave heights below six feet, winds under 28.7mph, and clear visibility within a 30-nautical-mile radius. The spacecraft’s re-entry is expected to occur at approximately 34,965 feet per second, roughly 23,800mph.

As the Orion spacecraft approaches Earth, it will use the planet’s gravity to help pull it home. Small corrections made by firing thrusters will ensure the spacecraft hits the atmosphere at the right angle. The final adjustment occurs a few hours before re-entry, after which the astronauts put on their protective suits and prepare for the most intense part of the journey.

The crew module will separate from the service module approximately 42 minutes before splashdown, leaving only the crew to continue the descent to Earth. The service module will then be discarded and burn up in the atmosphere, while the crew module turns its heat shield forward for re-entry. Once inside the atmosphere, the spacecraft will slow dramatically, with parachutes deploying in sequence to bring it to a gentle splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The Orion spacecraft is expected to travel approximately 1,775 nautical miles from its entry point into Earth’s atmosphere to its landing spot in the Pacific.

Source: Al Jazeera