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Artemis II crew to end record-setting mission with Pacific Ocean splashdown
The four astronauts are set to touch down on Earth and conclude the 10-day mission after completing moon flyby
TL;DR
- The Artemis II mission's Orion capsule is scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, completing a 10-day lunar journey.
- This marks the first time humans have traveled beyond lower Earth orbit since 1972.
- The mission successfully tested systems for future deep-space exploration and demonstrated NASA's ability to safely transport astronauts to and from cislunar space.
- Key achievements include the first woman (Christina Koch), first person of color (Victor Glover), and first non-American (Jeremy Hansen) to travel to the moon.
- The crew traveled farther from Earth than any previous humans, reaching 252,756 miles.
- The mission encountered minor issues, such as a malfunctioning toilet, which required repairs.
- Astronauts gathered valuable data on life support systems, radiation, and spacesuits for future Artemis missions, which aim for a moon base within a decade.
- NASA gained confidence in Orion's heat shield after testing following anomalies on the uncrewed Artemis I mission.
- The splashdown involved a complex parachute deployment system to ensure a safe landing speed.
- Recovery crews were positioned in the Pacific to retrieve the capsule and crew.