Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Returning To Earth For Sunday Splashdown

On December 5th, the 20th day of the Artemis I mission, Orion completed a 3 minute, 27 second, return powered flyby burn, making its closest approach just 79.2 miles above the lunar surface. Orion is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday Dec. 11th.

Photo: NASA

The unmanned Orion spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the California coast, on Sunday December 11th after leaving lunar orbit Monday by completing a 3 minute, 27 second Return Powered Flyby Burn. It was the final major engine test of the Artemis I mission.

The spacecraft made its closest pass over the Moon, approximately 79.2 miles above the lunar surface and captured imagery of the Moon and the crescent Earth in the distance.

If all goes as planned, the Artemis II mission will launch astronauts around the moon in 2024 and pave the way for astronauts to land on the Moon in 2025 on the Artemis III mission.


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