image source, NASA/Getty
- author, Writing
- Author Name, BBC News World
Reading time: 7 min
Four astronauts from the historic Artemis II mission to the moon are now safe on Earth after a near-miss that NASA described as “textbook”.
At 8:07 p.m. ET, the Orion spacecraft touched down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, as scheduled by NASA.
The US space agency said it was a textbook landing.
The announcer could be heard saying live that the four astronauts were in “excellent condition.”
Later, when rescue boats in the Pacific Ocean reached Orion, a medical officer who entered the capsule to check on the health of the astronauts reported that all four crew members were “in the green.”
“In green, which means they feel great, not the color of their skin,” joked Megan Cruise, speaking on behalf of NASA from the USS John P. Murtha, the ship responsible for rescuing the astronauts.
image source, NASA
The return mission of Artemis II began at 14:53 with an eight-second engine firing. This maneuver adjusted the ship’s trajectory in millimeters to ensure a safe descent.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. the crew module separated from the service module, exposing the vehicle’s heat shield just before impact with Earth’s atmosphere.
“For the past 10 days, the Cylindrical Service Module has been the mission’s workhorse,” explained BBC science correspondent Palab Ghosh.
“Its engines performed the maneuvers that put Orion on a trajectory around the Moon. Its solar panels generated energy that sustained the crew, while its propulsion system pushed the craft on a trajectory home through 230,000 miles of empty space,” he added.
The most critical phase of this return began at 19:53. Aerodynamic friction is believed to have subjected the astronauts to gravitational forces of up to 3.9 G, while intense heat formed a layer of plasma at around 1,650 ºC around the capsule.
As it flew through the atmosphere, Orion’s heat shield was exposed to temperatures of about 2700 °C, which is about half the temperature of the Sun’s surface.
image source, Reuters
This fire barrier blocked all radio communication. Mission Control lost all communication with the spacecraft for approximately six minutes.
At 8:03, the automatic system began opening the parachutes. This gradually reduced the rate of descent to about 32 kilometers per hour before hitting the water.
Disembarkation took place as planned at 20:07.
A military rescue team was waiting for the astronauts in the Pacific Ocean.
image source, NASA
After the impact, boats with specialized personnel went to the place where Orion was floating to help the astronauts get out of the capsule and get on the inflatable raft.
The Artemis II crew was then helicoptered from the ocean to the amphibious assault ship USS John P. Murtha, where they were medically examined.
Time in space is physically exhausting, but a NASA spokesman said the astronauts were “happy and healthy.”
Now the focus will be on reuniting them with their families.
image source, NASA/Getty
The end of the historical journey
The landing in the Pacific Ocean completed a journey lasting ten days and more than 1.1 million kilometers. American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen traveled deeper into space than any other person in history.
The group woke up on their last day in orbit more than 98,000 kilometers from Earth. They leave behind a tour that saw them fly over the far side of the moon and even chat with President Donald Trump.
The capsule’s arrival marks the end of the first manned lunar voyage in more than half a century. Four researchers have opened the door to humanity’s future return to the surface of our natural satellite.
This idea was expressed this Friday by a very emotional Jared Isaacman, the administrator of NASA, who described how he was left speechless when he saw the crew of this mission.
“My childhood Jared can’t believe what he just saw. This is just the beginning,” he said.
“We’re back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon and returning them safely,” he added.
image source, NASA
After the return of the astronauts, US President Donald Trump issued a welcome message.
“Congratulations to the large and very talented crew of Artemis II. The whole ride was spectacular, the landing was perfect, and as the President of the United States, I couldn’t be more proud of it. I hope to see you all at the White House soon. We’ll do it again, and then, the next step, Mars!” – he wrote in a message on the Pravda social network.
What it really feels like to get back into the atmosphere
Helen Sharman, Britain’s first female astronaut
I know what the crew of Artemis II went through.
After a few days of weightlessness, coming back was a brutal return to normal for me.
As our capsule reached the top of the atmosphere, the soft silence of orbit gave way to a growing rumble and violent vibration. The ship began to shake, the G-forces increased, and I felt myself pressed against the seat.
I remember trying to take our re-entry manual and being surprised at how difficult it was; even moving the little finger required effort.
Every small movement suddenly required work, as if gravity was “turning on” again.
Still, she was too focused to feel fear, eyes on the screens, waiting for each milestone to happen, trusting the heat shield she couldn’t see.
I knew it would be hard, but I also knew it would only last a few minutes before the parachutes opened and the descent was smooth.
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