POV: Orion Spacecraft Reentry After Artemis I Mission to the Moon
On Dec. 11, 2022, our uncrewed Orion spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere after completing the 1.4-million-mile, 25.5-day Artemis I mission around the Moon. Orion, which will soon take humans to the Moon, performed a “skip” entry technique, allowing it to splash down with accuracy at a selected site in the Pacific Ocean.
During reentry, the spacecraft endured temperatures about half as hot as the surface of the Sun at about 5,000°F (2,800°C), and slowed from nearly 25,000 mph (40,000 kph) to 16 mph (26 kph) for its 11-parachute-assisted splashdown.
In this video, Orion’s reentry can be seen from an in-cabin camera facing out one of four side windows. The loud sounds that can be heard are firings of the spacecraft’s 12 reaction control thrusters that are steering the capsule as it reenters.
View the full length video here: go.nasa.gov/orionreentry
Credit: NASA
