Nasa's artemis ii mission set for historic lunar splashdown

The final hours of NASA's Artemis II mission are underway, culminating in a daring lunar return that promises to push the boundaries of space exploration.

Reentry risks mitigated by speed and design

As the Orion spacecraft, carrying its four-person crew, prepares to re-enter Earth's atmosphere, NASA engineers have implemented a series of adjustments to minimize the risks associated with this perilous phase of the journey.

Following the heat shield damage sustained by its predecessor, Artemis I, the Integrity module's thermal protection system underwent a critical redesign. By increasing the spacecraft's re-entry velocity to approximately 40,000 km/h – the fastest ever achieved by a crewed vehicle – NASA aims to reduce the accumulation of gases beneath the shield's charred exterior.

At 1:33 AM UTC on April 11, the Service Module will separate from the Orion capsule, with the latter navigating the final stages of re-entry unaided. Between 1:53 and 1:59 AM, the spacecraft will descend into a communications blackout as it's enveloped in a plasma bubble, with temperatures reaching up to 3,000°C.

Once the heat shield has done its job, the crew will regain contact, and the Orion will deploy its parachutes for a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 2:07 AM. The astronauts will then be extracted and flown to the USS John P. Murtha, where they'll undergo medical evaluations before returning to Houston.