NASA’s Artemis II moonship returns home to its launch site after historic voyage
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacecraft four astronauts flew returned to where it was around the moon record breaking journey to start.
NASA’s Artemis II capsule returned to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday after almost a month. explode He embarked on humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century.
After splashing into the Pacific on April 10, the Orion capsule was transported by truck from San Diego to Cape Canaveral. Engineers will study the capsule’s heat shield, along with everything else, in more detail in preparation for next year. Artemis III docking demo In orbit around the Earth. The capsule’s electronics boxes will be removed and recycled along with the research equipment.
The capsule, named Integrity by the US-Canadian crew, was carrying astronauts deep into space more than people have ever traveled before. aside fastidious toiletcapsule appeared perform well during the approximately 10-day journey, according to NASA.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen are finally taking a break after medical examinations and other tests following their mission.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Wiseman said via X late last week, posting a video of himself relaxing on the beach. “I have a lot to process in my head, and it has little to do with leaving the planet. Today is my first step. I’ve never felt this much peace in my life.”
Until Artemis II, astronauts had not flown to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Artemis III will have a new capsule and crew. They will remain in orbit around Earth to work on docking with the lunar landers currently being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. This will pave the way for two new astronauts to land on the moon as early as 2028.
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