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Historic Splashdown
The Artemis II crew successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
“HOUSTON -- Still marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home Saturday from hundreds who took part in NASA's lunar comeback that set a record for deep space travel”
They set a record for the furthest distance humans have ever travelled into space, reaching 406,771 kilometres from Earth.
The capsule reentered Earth's atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour and withstood temperatures of up to about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
After splashdown, the crew was extracted and flown to the USS John P. Murtha for medical assessment.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman declared, 'We are back in the business of sending astronauts back to the moon.'
Crew Reflections
The astronauts received a warm welcome back in Houston less than 24 hours after splashdown.
Commander Reid Wiseman reflected on the bond formed during the mission.
Christina Koch described what it meant to be part of a crew.
Hansen said, 'We are a mirror reflecting you.'
The mission presented the astronauts with an existential awakening.
Mission Achievements
Artemis II marked the first crewed flight of NASA's Space Launch System and Orion.
“Long-time colleague of Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen reacts to Artemis II crew's return to Earth | CBC”
The crew traveled farther into space than any human had ventured before.
They broke Apollo 13's distance record by reaching 252,756 miles from Earth.
They captured views of the lunar far side never witnessed before.
The mission demonstrated that Orion can handle transporting humans to the moon.
Reentry and Recovery
The Orion capsule reentered Earth's atmosphere at speeds up to 25,000 mph.
The spacecraft's ablative heat shield protected the crew by purposely wearing away.
The six-minute communication blackout was expected.
The crew was recovered by U.S. Navy divers and taken to the USS John P. Murtha.
Flight Director Rick Henfling quantified the success with precise numbers.
Future Plans
NASA is preparing for Artemis III, planned for mid-2027.
“The crew members aboard lunar mission Artemis II have landed in the Pacific Ocean to await pickup from U”
The goal is to put American astronauts back on the surface of the moon in 2028.
NASA's goals are different now than during Apollo.
The successful Artemis II mission paved the way for sustainable lunar exploration.
