artemis II Crew.webp
The Digest:

NASA's Artemis II crew has splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean after a nine-day voyage that took them farther from Earth than any humans in history. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, travelled at over 24,000mph, with its heatshield subjected to temperatures half as hot as the Sun's surface. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are now aboard a waiting ship. President Trump welcomed them home, calling the mission "spectacular."

Key Points:
  • The crew lost contact with mission control for six minutes during descent.
  • The capsule hit a "perfect bull's eye splashdown" within a mile of its target.
  • The mission tested a new re-entry path to reduce thermal load on the heatshield.
  • The astronauts will be flown to Houston to reunite with families on Saturday.
  • The success clears the way for Artemis IV Moon landing targeted for 2028.
Sources: NASA