NASA’s Orion space capsule flew over the Moon less than 130 kilometers from its surface on Monday, a spectacular maneuver which marks the start of the return journey to Earth for this first mission of the Artemis program.
By performing this flyby very close to the surface, the spacecraft took advantage of the gravitational pull of the Moon to propel itself on its return trajectory.
Communication with the capsule was interrupted for 30 minutes when it passed behind the far side of the Moon, where it was to fly over the Apollo mission landing sites.
The essential thrust of the main engine of the European service module, which propels the capsule, lasted a little more than three minutes.
Last big move
It was the last big maneuver of the mission. The latter began with the takeoff of NASA’s new mega-rocket on November 16, for a trip that should last 25 and a half days in total.
Orion will now make only slight course corrections until it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the US city of San Diego on Sunday, December 11 at 5:40 p.m. GMT. She will be recovered and hoisted aboard a US Navy vessel.
During the mission, Orion spent about six days in remote orbit around the Moon.
At more than 400,000 km
A week ago, this brand new spacecraft broke the distance record for a habitable capsule, venturing a little over 432,000 km from our planet, further than the Apollo missions.
The capsule does not carry a passenger, the purpose of this Artemis 1 mission being to verify that the vehicle is safe for a future crew.
The main objective is to test the resistance of Orion’s heat shield – the largest ever built – when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 40,000 km/h. It will have to withstand a temperature half as hot as the surface of the Sun (2800 degrees).
With the Artemis program, the Americans intend to establish a lasting presence on the Moon, in order to prepare for a trip to Mars.
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