The NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully concluded this Saturday, after its crew returned to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, after completing a historic journey around the Moon.
The Orion spacecraft, which was transporting the four astronauts, traversed the Earth's atmosphere until achieving a parachute-assisted splashdown at 17:07 hours (local time), thus putting an end to a ten-day mission.
During reentry, which extended for about 13 minutes, the capsule endured extreme conditions, with plasma accumulation on its surface and temperatures close to 2,760 degrees Celsius, while traveling at about 40,234 kilometers per hour when traversing the atmosphere.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya has highlighted that the mission's critical systems functioned as planned in the most delicate phases of the return. "The Artemis II crew is home. The entry, descent, and landing systems functioned as planned and the final test was completed as expected," he celebrated.
Kshatriya has also put the focus on the collective effort that has made this achievement possible, recalling the involvement of thousands of professionals from different countries. "This moment belongs to the thousands of people from fourteen countries who built, tested, and trusted this vehicle," he highlighted.
Regarding the crew, NASA has confirmed that the four astronauts are in good health after completing this historic journey, which represents the first crewed trip around the Moon in more than 50 years and a key step within the Artemis program.
For his part, the NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, has highlighted the historic nature of the mission and the political support that made it possible. "Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy, welcome home and congratulations on this truly historic achievement. NASA thanks President Donald Trump and its partners in Congress for providing the mandate and resources that made this mission and the future of Artemis possible," he declared.
Isaacman has also emphasized that the mission represents an unprecedented advance in human exploration, highlighting the technical capability demonstrated by the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket, as well as the commitment of the crew, who took significant risks to expand scientific knowledge and pave the way for future missions.
"Artemis II has demonstrated extraordinary skill, bravery, and dedication", he added, also recognizing the joint work of NASA personnel and the international partners involved.
