NASA Spacecraft Returns From The Moon
After completing a 25-day trip to the moon, NASA’s Orion space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, the British tabloid Daily mail reported on Dec. 11. Orion launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 16 on a NASA Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as part of the Artemis-1 mission, which opens the prospect of returning humans to the moon. Nine days later, the capsule made history by flying 435,000 kilometers beyond Earth, the longest distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to transport people. It is planned that in 2024 the ship will deliver people to lunar orbit for the next mission. While the Artemis-1 mission is designed to test systems, the launch of Artemis II will be NASA’s first mission with astronauts flying in lunar orbit. If successful, Artemis II will pave the way for the first woman and next man to land on the moon in the Artemis III mission.
