The Artemis II crew is set to return to Earth on Friday, with NASA outlining the complex steps needed for a safe splashdown.
According to The Guardian, the Orion capsule will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 24,000 miles per hour before landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
Officials stressed that accuracy is important during this phase.
Speaking at a press conference, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said: “Every engineer, every technician who has touched this machine, tomorrow is yours. The crew has done their job. Now we have to do ours.”
Flight Director Jeff Radigan said the spacecraft must enter at exactly the right angle.
He said, “Let’s not hang around. We have to hit that angle right – otherwise we won’t be able to make a successful re-entry.”
The return sequence includes separation of the service module, which will burn in the atmosphere, followed by parachute deployment and splashdown at approximately 5:07 a.m. PT.
A brief communications blackout is also expected during re-entry.
Officials warned the public to avoid the designated recovery area due to falling debris.
Recovery operations involving the USS John P Murtha are expected to take up to 90 minutes before the crew can be evacuated and transported to Houston for medical examination.
Astronaut Victor Glover said the mission’s return brought valuable data.
“We have to go back. There’s a lot of data you’ve already seen, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are a lot of pictures, a lot of stories.”
