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Artemis II Crew Returns After Historic Lunar Flyby
8 Apr
Summary
- Artemis II crew on first moon mission since 1972 nears Earth.
- Spacecraft passed behind the moon, experiencing brief comms blackout.
- Crew is headed for a splashdown off San Diego on Friday, April 10.
The Artemis II mission is on its final approach to Earth, with the Orion capsule now firmly under Earth's gravity after leaving the moon's sphere of influence on Tuesday. This marks the homebound journey for the four-astronaut crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
This historic voyage represents the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972. The crew has successfully executed a lunar flyby, traveling farther from our planet than any humans in history. During the mission, the spacecraft passed behind the moon, which included a temporary communications blackout and provided views of the lunar far side.
The Orion capsule has utilized a fuel-efficient free-return trajectory, leveraging the moon's gravity for its return. As the spacecraft hurtles towards Earth at over 1,700 miles per hour, the astronauts are preparing for their planned splashdown off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 10, capping a significant milestone in NASA's Artemis program.
