NASA has successfully completed the first phase of its historic Artemis mission, bringing the Orion spacecraft down to a safe landing in the Pacific Ocean. This marks a pivotal moment in space exploration, as the first test of the Orion spacecraft in the deep-space environment has been a resounding success.
The Orion spacecraft launched on December 5, 2020, and has completed its two-orbit, three-week mission around the moon. This has marked the first time a spacecraft has flown around the moon without docking or landing on its surface since the Apollo mission in 1972. During the trip, the spacecraft completed various tests, such as maneuvering around the moon and checking its navigation, propulsion, attitude control, and guidance systems in a deep-space environment.
As the mission drew to a close, the spacecraft completed its deorbit burn, initiating a reentry sequence.
The spacecraft descended through Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Baja California, in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 20. The splashdown was within the expected landing area and was detected by sensors and satellite imagery. Orion’s parachutes and airbags successfully decelerated and steadied the spacecraft during its descent.
NASA and its partners are currently working to recover the Orion spacecraft, which will be taken to a former Space Shuttle facility in Florida. Once Orion is recovered, engineers and technicians will inspect the spacecraft to ensure that all systems worked as expected.
NASA’s successful completion of the Artemis 1 mission marks an incredible milestone in space exploration. This mission is the first step in NASA’s ambitious plan to send humans to the moon by 2024, a journey that is proving the possibilities are endless. With the success of Artemis 1, NASA has taken a giant leap towards realizing this goal, paving the way for a new era of space exploration and discovery.
