All articles tagged with #orion capsule
Artemis II's four-astronaut crew safely splashed down in the Pacific off California after a 10-day mission that included a lunar flyby; NASA said all four are in good condition as recovery teams prepared the inflatable 'front porch' raft and began extracting them from the Orion capsule for medical checks aboard the recovery ship.
NASA says Artemis 2 can safely re-enter with the same Avcoat heat shield used for Artemis 1, thanks to a lofted skip-entry trajectory that preserves shield permeability and vents gas, addressing the earlier damage seen in Artemis 1. The confidence rests on extensive testing and flight data, though using the current shield means a slightly reduced ability to dodge bad weather at splashdown, and some critics remain skeptical of the approach.
NASA's Artemis II interior design centers on safety and human factors in Orion: adaptive seats for nearly all astronauts, configurable layouts, alternative control devices for limited movement, acoustics and odor control for privacy, and flexible crew quarters. Information displays are organized to show the right data at the right time, with software handling many flight tasks while preserving crew override. Designers treat comfort and autonomy as essential to enable calm, productive operation during reentry and longer missions.
Artemis 2's crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—will return from the moon by plunging into Earth’s atmosphere at about 23,840 mph (38,367 kph) around 75 miles up, in a roughly eight-minute fiery reentry before a splashdown in the Pacific off San Diego on April 10. To reduce heat-stress after Artemis 1’s heat-shield damage, Orion will enter at a steeper angle and rely on its Avcoat heat shield, with parachutes deploying to slow the capsule for a Navy recovery after touchdown.
Artemis II’s four astronauts wrap up final tests aboard the Orion capsule after a loop around the Moon, plan a news conference and another manual piloting pass before Friday’s reentry and splashdown off Southern California. NASA scientists are cataloging thousands of photos and video from the far-side daylight pass for new insights into the Moon's evolution; a toilet hiccup is the only notable issue on what is the first piloted Moon mission since the final Apollo landing in 1972.
NASA's Artemis II crew—Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen—will spend about 10 days in the 330-cubic-foot Orion capsule, looping around the Moon as a critical life-support and habitat test for future moon landings. Inside Orion, they’ll configure a DIY toilet, a small kitchenette, a space for exercise, a radiation shelter, and sleeping bags tied to the walls, with four astronauts sharing a compact open-concept layout but no excursions outside the capsule.
Artemis II plans a 10-day crewed loop around the Moon in April 2026 aboard SLS/Orion; space policy expert Scott Pace outlines the decades-long path to this mission, highlights key risk checks (boosters, translunar injection, life support, heat shield), discusses cost and flight-rate challenges, and explains Artemis as an international, commercial effort aimed at establishing a sustainable lunar presence that could eventually be led by the private sector if economics support it.
NASA’s Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket sits on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center with a 24/7 livestream tracking prep for a February 6 target. The 10‑day crewed mission will loop four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—around the Moon after a wet dress rehearsal, with backup launch windows possible in February–April if needed. The streams offer continuous visibility, though views can be obscured by Atlantic fog; the mission would mark milestones including Glover as the first person of color to leave LEO, Koch as the first woman, and Hansen as the first Canadian to travel on Artemis.
NASA has delayed its Artemis moon missions, with Artemis 2 now set for April 2026 and Artemis 3 for mid-2027, due to additional preparation needed for the Orion capsule. The delay follows issues discovered with the capsule's heat shield after the Artemis 1 mission. Despite these setbacks, NASA aims to launch before China's planned lunar mission by 2030.
NASA has announced further delays in its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon. The first crewed lunar landing, initially planned for 2026, is now postponed to mid-2027, while a pathfinder mission around the moon is delayed to April 2026. These delays are partly due to issues with the Orion crew capsule's heat shield, which experienced unexpected erosion during the Artemis I mission. NASA is addressing the problem with a modified trajectory for Artemis II. The delays push the timeline closer to NASA's original 2028 target before the Trump administration accelerated the schedule.
NASA's Artemis 2 mission, set to launch in September 2025, will carry a four-person crew on a 10-day journey to the Moon and back. The crew will manually maneuver the Orion capsule through a series of moves about three hours into the flight, following a ground demo to prepare for this. The mission has faced delays due to safety and technical issues, including problems with the heat shield, life support system valves, and battery performance. Despite these challenges, the crew is preparing for the upcoming trip and learning how to operate the spacecraft manually for its orbital demonstration.
NASA has shared incredible footage of its Orion capsule's reentry into Earth's atmosphere after completing the historic Artemis 1 moon mission. The video shows the capsule's fiery plunge through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. Artemis 1, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, marked the first liftoff for SLS and the second for Orion. The mission successfully reached orbit around the moon before returning to Earth. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024. The overall Artemis plan aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon by the end of the 2020s.
NASA's uncrewed Orion capsule successfully returned to Earth, marking the end of the Artemis 1 moon mission. The capsule recorded its dramatic reentry through Earth's atmosphere, capturing a trail of fire in the sky. The Artemis 1 mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, utilized the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and the Orion capsule. The mission's success paves the way for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, tentatively scheduled for 2024. The overall goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the moon by the end of the 2020s.
NASA has released a one-minute clip of the Orion capsule's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere during the Artemis 1 moon mission. The footage shows the capsule's dramatic plunge, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. The mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, marked the first liftoff for the Space Launch System (SLS) and the second for Orion. The capsule successfully arrived in orbit around the moon on Nov. 25 and returned to Earth on Dec. 11. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024.
NASA has released a one-minute clip of the Orion capsule's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere during the Artemis 1 moon mission. The footage shows the capsule's dramatic plunge, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. The mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, marked the first liftoff for the Space Launch System (SLS) and the second for Orion. The capsule successfully arrived in orbit around the moon on Nov. 25 and returned to Earth on Dec. 11. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024.