Published
SpaceAfter a very close flyby of the Moon, the Orion capsule returns to Earth
The first mission of “Artemis” allows NASA to verify that the vehicle is safe to transport a crew. Landing is scheduled in the Pacific Ocean on December 11.
By performing this flyby very close to the surface, the Orion spacecraft took advantage of the gravitational pull of the Moon to propel itself on its return trajectory.
AFP
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 dark side of the Moon, where it was to fly over the landing sites of the “Apollo” missions. The essential thrust of the main engine of the European service module, which propels the capsule, lasted a little more than three minutes.
Landing off San Diego
This was the last major maneuver of the mission. The latter had begun with the takeoff of NASA’s new mega-rocket on November 16, for a trip to last 25 and a half days. 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 9:40 a.m. local time (6:40 p.m. in Switzerland). 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. A week ago, this brand new spacecraft broke the distance record for a habitable capsule, venturing just over 432,000 km from our planet – further than the Apollo missions.
At over 40,000 km/h
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 the heat shield – the largest ever built – when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 40,000 km/hour. It will have to withstand a temperature half as high as the surface of the Sun (2800°C).
With the “Artemis” program, the Americans intend to establish a lasting presence on the Moon, in order to prepare for a trip to Mars. The “Artemis 2” mission will take astronauts to the Moon, still without landing there. This honor will be reserved for the crew of “Artemis 3”, which will land for the first time on the South Pole of the Moon. Officially, these missions are to take place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
(AFP)