Artemis splashdown

2022 - 12 - 11

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

NASA's Artemis I returns from the moon with hopes to get astronauts ... (NPR)

The successful splashdown of the spacecraft with no humans aboard keeps NASA's Artemis mission on track to put the first woman and first person of color on ...

The mission finally [launched](https://www.npr.org/2022/11/16/1137046007/nasa-artemis-moon-rocket-launch-success) Nov. [SpaceX human landing system](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon) to land astronauts on the moon for phase three of the program by 2025. [delayed](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/24/1124927392/nasa-delays-artemis-moon-launch-tropical-storm-ian) the Artemis 1 mission for several months due what seemed like an engine issue at the time, followed by a liquid hydrogen leak, and then a hurricane. NASA astronaut Shannon Walker on Sunday estimated that NASA will announce the Artemis 1 [traveled](https://www.npr.org/2022/11/16/1137046007/nasa-artemis-moon-rocket-launch-success) 1.4 million miles, circling the moon, and returned within 25 and a half days, a feat no other human-rated spacecraft has achieved. "That's the next step and I can't wait." "This test flight is what we need in order to prove this vehicle so that we can fly with a crew," Cabana said Sunday. That's half as hot as the outer "It was a beautiful sight, probably just about several thousand feet in the sky, and we watched that slow descent as the Orion crew module made its way down to the Pacific Ocean." This type of descent will provide data for splashdown sites for future crewed missions, NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said on Ammonia, lethal to humans when PT, marking a successful phase one of

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Historic moon mission ends with splashdown of Orion capsule (CNN)

The Artemis I mission around the moon meant to pave the way for future astronaut missions — came to an momentous end as NASA's Orion spacecraft made a ...

The crew announcement is expected in early 2023, NASA officials said Sunday afternoon. By the time it splashed down, Orion was meant to be traveling about 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour). But “if I’m a schoolteacher, I would give it an A-plus.” [according](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BluJKCjLec4) to Artemis I flight director Judd Frieling. But at least four of those satellites failed after being jettisoned into orbit, including a miniature lunar lander developed in The spacecraft finished the final stretch of its journey, closing in on the thick inner layer of Earth’s atmosphere after traversing 239,000 miles (385,000 kilometers) between the moon and Earth. And the good news is that when they do go wrong, NASA knows how to fix them,” Nelson said. The capsule then spent six hours in the Pacific Ocean, with NASA collecting additional data and running through some tests before the rescue team moved it. As it embarked on its final descent, the capsule slowed down drastically, shedding thousands of miles per hour in speed until its parachutes deploy. [few mannequins](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/world/moonikin-campos-artemis-1-saturday-launch-scn/index.html) equipped to gather data and [a Snoopy doll](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/15/world/artemis-i-mementos-scn/index.html) — Nelson, the NASA chief, has stressed [ the importance](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/01/world/nasa-artemis-1-departure-burn-scn/index.html) of demonstrating that the capsule can make a safe return. [stunning pictures](http://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/world/artemis-1-launch-nasa-scn/index.html) of Earth and, during two close flybys, images of the lunar surface and a mesmerizing “ [Earth rise](http://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/world/nasa-artemis-1-moon-flyby-return-scn/index.html).” ET Sunday in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California.

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Image courtesy of "Space.com"

Splashdown! NASA's Artemis 1 Orion capsule lands in Pacific to end ... (Space.com)

An uncrewed Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean this afternoon (Dec. 11), bringing a successful end to NASA's historic Artemis 1 moon mission.

Follow us on Twitter [@Spacedotcom](https://twitter.com/SPACEdotcom) (opens in new tab) or Follow him on Twitter [@michaeldwall](https://twitter.com/michaeldwall) (opens in new tab). The first elements of Gateway are expected to lift off atop a [SpaceX](https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html) Falcon Heavy rocket in late 2024. [Apollo 17](https://www.space.com/17287-apollo-17-last-moon-landing.html) astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt touched down on the moon. [headed for home](https://www.space.com/artemis-1-orion-moon-flyby-burn-december-5) with a 3.5-minute-long engine burn during a close flyby of the moon on Dec. EST (1740 GMT), about 100 miles (160 km) off the west coast of the Baja Peninsula. 16](https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-1-moon-mission-launch), and it was a sight to behold. [Orion](https://www.space.com/27824-orion-spacecraft.html) capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California this afternoon (Dec. This tremendous speed generated huge amounts of friction, putting Orion's 16.5-foot-wide (5 meters) heat shield to the test. EST (1720 GMT) on Sunday. 11), bringing a successful end to NASA's historic [Artemis 1](https://www.space.com/artemis-1-going-back-to-the-moon) moon mission after a 1.4 million-mile (2.3 million kilometers) flight. Two days later, Orion reached its maximum distance from its home planet, extending the record to 268,563 miles (432,210 km).

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Image courtesy of "USA TODAY"

Return to Earth! NASA's Artemis I moon mission wraps up with Orion ... (USA TODAY)

An uncrewed Orion capsule successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Sunday, Dec. 11, at 12:39 p.m. ET concluding NASA's Artemis I moon mission.

It flung the capsule past the moon into an orbit about 40,000 miles away called a distant retrograde orbit meaning that Orion traveled in the opposite direction of the moon's orbit around the Earth. NASA's Artemis program is designed to enable an extended human presence on the moon. Though the mission profile looks similar to Artemis I, it will include astronauts. According to a NASA blog post, "the Artemis I trajectory is designed to ensure any remaining parts do not pose a hazard to land, people, or shipping lanes." NASA hopes to utilize lessons learned during Artemis lunar missions as stepping stones to one day venture even further to Mars. Orion punched through the atmosphere on a complex trajectory called a "skip reentry" experiencing temperatures of about 5,000 degrees in the process. Orion flew farther from Earth, punctured through the Earth's atmosphere faster, and experienced hotter reentry temperatures than any other spacecraft ever designed for human spaceflight. Air Force, NASA, and Lockheed Martin – deployed from San Diego on Wednesday to a holding position in the Pacific. 25, Orion fired up its Orbital Maneuvering System engine to complete a maneuver called the distant retrograde insertion burn. Just before reentry, the Orion crew module separated from the service module. It then plunged back in for the final descent. EST, it marked the exclamation point of NASA's nearly monthlong Artemis I test flight.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Artemis I Orion capsule splashes down after NASA mission near moon (ABC News)

The Artemis I Orion capsule has splashed down after a 25-day trip that reached within 60 miles of the moon.

In total, the Artemis expedition includes four missions, each of which will cost roughly $4.1 billion. In addition to setting up a permanent base camp on the moon, the program aims to be the gateway to eventual human missions to Mars. Artemis III plans to send four astronauts to the moon in 2025 including the first woman and the first person of color while Artemis IV plans to be the second lunar landing in 2027. 3 after engineers discovered several liquid hydrogen leaks. [launch delays](https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/artemis-rocket-set-launch-early-wednesday-series-delays/story?id=93335449), will return the unmanned capsule to Earth in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. The spacecraft spent 25.5 days in space and journeyed on a 1.4-million-mile journey around the Moon, according to NASA.

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

Watch Live: Artemis moonship returns to Earth with picture-perfect ... (CBS News)

A joint Navy-NASA recovery team was standing by within sight of the Orion splashdown to inspect the scorched capsule and, after a final round of tests, tow it ...

"The vehicle performed every bit as well as we hoped and even better in a lot of ways. If all goes well, NASA plans to follow the Artemis 1 mission by sending four astronauts around the moon in the program's second flight — Artemis 2 — in 2024. But it will require multiple robotic refueling flights in low-Earth orbit before heading to the moon to await rendezvous by astronauts launched aboard an Orion capsule. To see it all come together and have such a successful test mission was amazing." The re-entry profile was designed to ensure that Orion skipped once across the top of the atmosphere like a flat stone skipping across calm water before making its final descent. Finally, at an altitude of about 22,000 feet and a velocity of just under 300 mph, small drogue parachutes deployed, pulling off a protective cover along with three pilot chutes. "And that's the next step, and I can't wait. Two critical firings of its main engine set up a low-altitude lunar flyby last Monday that, in turn, put the craft on course for splashdown Sunday. Orion, back on Earth," said NASA commentator Rob Navias at the moment of Orion's splashdown, referring to the Apollo 11 and 17 landing sites. "There is no arc jet or aerothermal facility here on Earth capable of replicating hypersonic reentry with a heat shield of this size," he said. "It's a new day," Nelson said. Descending under three huge parachutes, the unpiloted 9-ton Orion capsule gently hit the water 200 miles west of Baja California at 12:40 p.m.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

NASA's Orion capsule returns to Earth, capping Artemis I flight ... (Reuters)

Orion winds up the inaugural mission of the Artemis program 50 years after Apollo's final moon landing.

By coincidence, the return to Earth of Artemis I unfolded on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 moon landing of Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Dec. [(BA.N)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/BA.N) SLS and the first combined with Orion, which previously flew a brief two-orbit test launched on a smaller Delta IV rocket in 2014. They were the last of 12 NASA astronauts to walk on the moon during a total of six Apollo missions starting in 1969. PST (1740 GMT) off Mexico's Baja California peninsula, demonstrating a high-stakes homecoming before NASA flies its first crew of Artemis astronauts around the moon in the next few years. Atmospheric friction slowed the capsule from 24,500 miles per hour (39,400 kph) to 325 mph, followed by two sets of parachutes that helped brake its speed to an expected 20 mph at splashdown. "It is our priority-one objective," Sarafin said at a briefing last week. Mission engineers will spend months examining data from the Artemis I mission. The capsule blasted off on Nov. agency's new Artemis lunar program 50 years to the day after Apollo's final moon landing. Naval vessel for a trip to San Diego, California. A crewed Artemis II flight around the moon and back could come as early as 2024, followed within a few more years by the program's first lunar landing of astronauts, one of them a woman, with Artemis III. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

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Image courtesy of "NASA"

Splashdown! NASA's Orion Returns to Earth After Historic Moon ... (NASA)

NASA's Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, at 9:39 a.m. PST Sunday after a record-breaking mission, traveling more ...

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Image courtesy of "Space.com"

Watch live as NASA recovers the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft after ... (Space.com)

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft will return to Earth on Sunday (Dec. 11) after nearly a month in space, and you can watch the homecoming live.

Follow us on Twitter [@Spacedotcom](https://twitter.com/SPACEdotcom) (opens in new tab) or Follow him on Twitter [@michaeldwall](https://twitter.com/michaeldwall) (opens in new tab). [Artemis 3](https://www.space.com/artemis-3-moon-landing-mission) is scheduled to put boots down near the lunar south pole in 2025 or 2026. [directly via the space agency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg) (opens in new tab). [Read our full splashdown story](https://www.space.com/artemis-1-orion-splashdown-moon-mission-success). 14, 1972, and no humans have been back to [the moon](https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html) since. [Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft successfully splashed down today](https://www.space.com/artemis-1-orion-splashdown-moon-mission-success), Dec. EST (1740 GMT). This tremendous speed will generate a lot of friction; Orion's heat shield will have to handle temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800 degrees Celsius) — about half as hot as the surface of the sun. EST (1600 GMT). Reentry will begin over the open Pacific, far off the coast of South America, and Orion will head north from there. EST (1720 GMT) on Sunday while traveling 25,000 mph (40,000 kph).

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Image courtesy of "ZDNet"

Orion parachute splashdown completes Artemis I moon mission (ZDNet)

NASA's Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission has successfully splashed down and been retrieved from the Pacific Ocean for analysis.

While in distant lunar orbit, Orion set a new record at [268,563 miles](https://www.zdnet.com/article/artemis-1-mission-orion-spaceship-just-reached-its-farthest-distance-from-earth/) from Earth, [surpassing](https://www.zdnet.com/article/artemis-i-mission-orion-spaceship-just-passed-another-milestone/) the record distance set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. After this, NASA will test and analyze the capsule and its heat shield over the course of several months. [within 80 miles of the Moon](https://www.zdnet.com/article/artemis-1-mission-after-slingshot-lunar-flyby-nasas-orion-is-headed-back-to-earth/) and it travelled nearly 270,000 miles from Earth – more than 1,000 times farther than the International Space Station's orbit of Earth. NASA selected the NRHO orbit because it needs Gateway's propellant to last at least 15 years, but also be close enough to the Moon. Part of this included NASA downlinking over 140GB of engineering and imagery data during the flight. From the launch of the world's most powerful rocket to the exceptional journey around the Moon and back to Earth, this flight test is a major step forward in the Artemis Generation of lunar exploration," The final milestone for Orion, which completed multiple powered burns and conserved more than enough propellant for the journey, was to see whether its heat shield could withstand the heat of a high-speed re-entry to Earth's atmosphere. "For years, thousands of individuals have poured themselves into this mission, which is inspiring the world to work together to reach untouched cosmic shores. On Sunday, Orion's heat shield successfully withstood the extreme heat of re-entry to Earth's atmosphere as it plummeted at 24,500 miles per hour. The second is to demonstrate Orion's operational and flight modes. Today is a huge win for NASA, the United States, our international partners, and all of humanity." Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, at 9.40 am PST Sunday, about two hours earlier than expected, closing out the historic mission.

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Highlights and Video From NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission ... (The New York Times)

The Orion spacecraft, which is to carry astronauts to and from the moon in coming years, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Sunday after a successful test ...

Orion is unoccupied this time, but it will take astronauts to the moon in the coming years. The rocket reached orbit and sent a small capsule, this time with no astronauts on board, on its way to the moon. There are 4 to 5 foot waves in the part of the Pacific Ocean where the Orion capsule will be recovered. For scientists, the renewed focus on the moon promises a bonanza of new data in the coming years. Two of the astronauts will move to the Starship rocket, landing somewhere near the moon’s South Pole, while the other two astronauts will remain in orbit in Orion. “It’s a future where NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon,” Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, said during a news conference earlier this year. The lander for Artemis III will be a version of a Starship rocket built by SpaceX. For Artemis II, the Orion spacecraft will not enter orbit around the moon; it will instead use the moon’s gravity to sling back to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown. Musk first set out to build Starship with eventual trips to Mars in mind, NASA will use a version of the rocket to ferry astronauts to the surface of the moon from its orbit. The next test flight will go into space, with the booster trying a controlled landing in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship stage will try to set down in the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii after flying to orbit. They will then blast off to dock again with Orion, and Orion will take the astronauts back to Earth. That flight will send four astronauts to the moon, without landing, and then back to Earth.

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