tech
Artemis Crew, Hours Away From Returning to Earth
NASA aims for a first lunar landing in 2028, before the end of Donald Trump's term and ahead of the date set by its Chinese rivals to walk on the Moon in 2030.
TL;DR
- The Artemis II mission crew is preparing for a high-risk splashdown after a 10-day journey around the Moon.
- Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are the first humans to travel further from Earth in decades.
- The splashdown is scheduled for 00:07 GMT in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
- Concerns exist regarding the Orion capsule's heat shield, which experienced unexpected degradation during a previous uncrewed test.
- Despite concerns, NASA decided to proceed with the same heat shield, adjusting the trajectory for a more direct atmospheric entry.
- A successful return would be NASA's first crewed deep-space mission since the Apollo program ended in 1972.
- Artemis II is a test mission to validate systems for future crewed lunar landings, with NASA targeting a landing in 2028.
- The mission aims to reignite public interest in space exploration.