The Artemis II astronauts have orbited the moon, captured some extraordinary images (above), set a number of records, and are now on their way back to Earth.
The 10-day mission will culminate on Friday, April 10, during a dramatic homecoming that will see the Orion spacecraft enter our planet’s atmosphere at a speed of nearly 25,000 miles per hour.
In the moments that follow, Artemis II crew members Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will experience a 16-minute rollercoaster ride as their vehicle faces the mission’s greatest forces yet.
At the end of the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, the spacecraft suffered unexpected heat shield damage during re-entry, although the vehicle splashed down in one piece. Although engineers have made changes to ensure the spacecraft’s structural integrity, these final moments of re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere later this week will still be the most dangerous of the entire mission for everyone involved – not least the four crew members.
Here’s how to watch
NASA will stream the crew’s homecoming live on NASA+ and its YouTube channel. The video player embedded above also displays the same feed.
Below is NASA’s latest schedule for Friday. If times change, we will update this information as quickly as possible. All times are in Eastern Time.
6:30 p.m.: NASA begins reporting on crew return.
7:33 p.m.: Orion crew module and service module separate.
7:37 p.m.: Orion will briefly fire its engines to prepare for re-entry.
7:53 p.m.: An important moment as Orion hits Earth’s atmosphere for the first time. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to protect the spacecraft from temperatures of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit – about half as hot as the surface of the sun. Orion will decelerate at a speed up to four times that of gravity, making astronauts feel four times heavier than on Earth.
8:07 p.m.: After various parachute deployments to slow Orion, water splashes in the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles off the coast of California. This ends a historic mission that paves the way for a manned moon landing as early as 2028.
10:00 p.m.: A post-disaster press conference is held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
