NASA officials say they are confident but cautious as the Artemis II crew prepares for its return to Earth following a historic lunar flyby mission.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch are spending their final full day in space reviewing re-entry procedures and securing the Orion spacecraft ahead of a scheduled splashdown.
The spacecraft is expected to reach speeds of over 38,000 km/h before entering Earth’s atmosphere, with temperatures during re-entry soaring to approximately 2,760°C. A planned communications blackout of about six minutes is expected as plasma builds around the capsule.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya expressed strong confidence in the spacecraft’s systems, including its heat shield and parachutes, though he acknowledged the inherent risks of re-entry.
“It’s about an hour and a half of things that have to go right,” said lead flight director Jeff Radigan, emphasizing the complexity of the descent process.
Following re-entry, Orion will deploy parachutes to slow its descent before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Recovery teams, including U.S. Navy personnel, are on standby to retrieve the crew.
The Artemis II mission, launched on April 1, has already set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth, reaching over 406,000 kilometres beyond the planet—surpassing the milestone set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
