NASA’s Orion spacecraft has captured a photo of it with the Earth and Moon in the background from its maximum distance away: 268,563 miles.
This huge distance is the halfway point of the mission and NASA reports that the spacecraft remains in “healthy condition” as it continues its trip in a distant retrograde orbit.
On flight day 11, Orion’s optical navigation camera was used to capture this lunar image as the spacecraft is in distant retrograde orbit around the Moon. Orion uses the optical navigation camera to capture imagery of the Earth and the Moon at different phases and distances, providing an enhanced body of data to certify its effectiveness under different lighting conditions as a way to help orient the spacecraft on future missions with crew.
“Because of the unbelievable can-do spirit, Artemis I has had extraordinary success and has completed a series of history making events,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says. “It’s incredible just how smoothly this mission has gone, but this is a test. That’s what we do – we test it and we stress it.”
Orion is now headed back to Earth where it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, which is currently planned to take place on December 11. It will reach a speed of 25,000 miles per hour and reach a temperature of 5,072 degrees Fahrenheit , both faster and hotter than any capsule designed for humans before it. A team is set to deploy today to train at the expected splashdown location to make final preparations for recovery.
On flight day 12 of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission, a camera on the tip of one of Orion’s solar arrays captured the Moon as Orion travels in distant retrograde orbit around the Moon. | NASA Johnson
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