HOUSTON (AP) – As the Artemis II astronauts approached Earth, they prepared their lunar cruiser for its imminent and intense reentry, while reflecting on their historic journey around the moon, which they described as surreal and profound. The astronauts, who are humanity’s first lunar explorers in over fifty years, found themselves less than 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometers) from home on Thursday, the next-to-last day of their mission.
Pilot Victor Glover emphasized the necessity of returning with vast amounts of data. “We have to get back. There’s so much data that you’ve seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are so many more pictures, so many more stories,” he stated, adding that “riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.” Meanwhile, Commander Reid Wiseman reflected on the experience of being cut off from human contact for nearly an hour when they were positioned behind the moon, calling the situation "surreal." He further commented, “There’s a lot that our brains have to process … and it is a true gift,” during the crew's first news conference since before liftoff.
During their mission, which saw them traverse a record 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth while behind the moon, the crew experienced a total solar eclipse as the moon obscured the sun from their perspective. Glover noted that launching from Florida on April 1 limited visibility of the lunar far side, but the eclipse provided a remarkable consolation prize, describing it as “one of the greatest gifts.”
The crew's reentry and subsequent splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego are imminent and are anticipated to be as dynamic and dangerous as their liftoff. The recovery ship, USS John P. Murtha, is already at sea, accompanied by a squadron of military planes and helicopters that are prepared to assist in the operation. This collaboration marks the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that NASA has joined forces with the Defense Department for a lunar crew's reentry.
The Orion capsule is expected to make a rapid return to Earth, hitting the atmosphere at an incredible 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second, equivalent to 23,840 mph (38,367 kph). While this speed is not a record, it remains extremely fast. Mission Control will closely observe how the capsule’s heat shield performs during reentry. During a previous Orion test flight to the moon in 2022, the heat shield experienced more damage than anticipated when subjected to reentry temperatures reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius).
NASA opted not to replace Artemis II's heat shield, which would have led to significant delays. Instead, they modified the descent path of the capsule to limit exposure to extreme heat. Future missions, starting with Artemis III, will feature redesigned heat shields. Artemis III aims to see astronauts practice docking their capsule with lunar landers or other spacecraft in orbit around Earth, while Artemis IV, scheduled for 2028, plans to land two astronauts near the moon’s south pole, progressing towards NASA’s vision of establishing a sustainable lunar base.
NASA officials have been cautious in providing risk assessment figures for the nearly ten-day mission, recognizing launch and reentry as major concerns. Lakiesha Hawkins of NASA expressed urgency as the mission nears its conclusion, stating, “We’re down to the wire now. We’re down to the end of the mission, and obviously getting the crew back home and getting them landed safely is a significant part of the risk that’s still in front of us.”
