NASA Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft returns to Earth: Top facts of the journey around the Moon – Times of India

NASA’s Orion spacecraft has returned to Earth after completing the US space agency’s Artemis 1 moon mission. The uncrewed capsule splashed down into the Pacific Ocean off of Mexico’s Baja California around 12:40 PM ET (11:10 pm IST) on Sunday (December 11) after completing a 25.5-day journey.
What’s Artemis 1 mission?
Artemis 1, or Artemis I, the mission was the first integrated flight test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The main objective of the mission was to test the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield in preparation for subsequent Artemis missions.
Orion’s heat shield
Orion’s heat shield will have to endure temperatures of 2,800 degrees Celsius as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. NASA also tested radiation shielding, sensors, navigation and communications equipment. After multiple delays, it was launched from Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022.
The Orion’s capsule reached speeds of about 24,500mph and its heat shield sustained temperatures of around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it returned to Earth. It covered a total distance of 1.4 million miles in space over the span of 25.5 days.

Artemis 1: How will NASA get the data
NASA will start capturing data from the onboard mannequins that were strapped with multiple sensors. The data will then be used to plan future missions involving humans. NASA’s second Artemis mission is slated for 2024 and will include a group of astronauts who will revolve around the Moon. The US space agency plans to put humans on the Moon during the Artemis III mission but this might not be possible until 2026.
NASA Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft re-entry
One of the interesting facts about the NASA Artemis 1 is the re-entry technique which is the first human spacecraft to use it. Called “skip entry”, this technique makes the spacecraft splashdown accurately at the landing site. NASA says that this technique ensures a safe reentry for future Artemis missions.