The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission, consisting of four astronauts from the U.S. and Canada, are preparing to return to Earth after their groundbreaking journey to the far side of the moon. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have been aboard the Orion spacecraft for 10 days. Their re-entry is scheduled for 7:33 p.m. ET, with a planned splashdown at 8:07 p.m. NASA will broadcast live coverage of their expected landing in the Pacific Ocean, near San Diego.
The Artemis II mission marks the first human voyage to lunar orbit in over 50 years, taking the crew 252,760 miles from Earth, a distance comparable to 100 trips between New York City and Los Angeles. The astronauts have inhabited a capsule with 330 cubic feet of space, the size of two minivans. The mission’s aim is to gather data to aid future lunar missions, involving tests of Orion’s systems and ensuring a safe splashdown.
The re-entry phase is critical, with particular attention on the heat shield made of AVCOAT, which is designed to endure extreme temperatures. The Artemis I mission experienced unexpected heat shield damage. Despite this, NASA assured that the crew would have returned safely.
The mission began on April 1, despite minor issues like problems with Microsoft Office and the toilet. However, the crew provided remarkable images from the moon, took part in naming new craters, and observed a total solar eclipse from space, offering an unprecedented view where they saw earthshine illuminating the moon. The live broadcast continues to be available online.