The four-astronaut crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission is now on its way back to Earth after a record-breaking trip around the moon, traveling farther from Earth than any humans before.
As the Orion capsule swung around the moon’s far side Monday, Earth disappeared from view and the crew lost contact with Mission Control for about 40 minutes while the moon blocked the connection to NASA’s Deep Space Network. “And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon,” mission specialist Christina Koch radioed before the blackout. “We will see you on the other side.”
During that blackout, NASA says Orion reached its closest approach to the lunar surface at roughly 4,067 miles. Minutes later the spacecraft hit its maximum distance from Earth at 252,756 miles, surpassing the Apollo 13 record from 1970 by 4,111 miles.
“We will explore, we will build, we will build ships. We will visit again,” Koch said as communication resumed, adding that future work will include science outposts, rovers, radio astronomy, commercial activity and inspiration — but ultimately a choice of Earth and each other.
Orion and its crew begin the nearly quarter-million-mile trip home carrying new lunar observations and key test-flight data to support future missions that could land humans on the moon as early as 2028.
New lunar data
During the flyby the astronauts made geological observations of about 35 sites of interest and shot thousands of photographs. Orion’s high altitude above the far side offered views not seen before by humans. Working in pairs, the crew described features in real time to lunar scientists at Johnson Space Center, noting subtle color variations that are often easier for human eyes to detect than satellites.
“The plateau is hard for me to see from this window, but that had green issues to me and was very unique,” mission specialist Jeremy Hansen told NASA scientists. He also noted many brownish-hued areas. These observations will aid understanding of lunar composition and help plan future robotic landings on the far side.
The flight path also took the spacecraft through a solar eclipse as the moon transited the sun, allowing the crew to study the solar corona visible around the moon’s edge during the roughly hourlong event. “This continues to be unreal,” pilot Victor Glover told Mission Control. The astronauts will share more science data and observations with officials during an in-flight meeting.
The crew dedicated an unnamed crater to commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. “We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll. It’s a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call that Carroll,” Hansen said.
Returning home
Artemis II is a test flight of the Orion spacecraft, and the crew will continue flight tests on the return trip, including deploying a radiation shield and testing manual maneuvering.
The most critical test will be reentry Friday, when Orion will slam into Earth’s atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour and face temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A heat shield under the capsule will protect the crew, and a series of parachutes will slow Orion to just under 20 miles per hour for a Pacific Ocean splashdown off the coast of San Diego. Airbags will help ensure the capsule lands upright. NASA and Department of Defense recovery teams will assist the crew from the capsule to a recovery ship, concluding the nearly 10-day mission to the moon and back.