50 years after it was last done, NASA’s mission Artemis I is scheduled to return to planet Earth after a successful trip to the moon. Entering orbit, the unmanned capsule was able to get within 80 miles of the lunar surface, all the while logging thousands of miles in orbit.
The project, if it goes well, will be a sign of strength by the NASA program and provide hope of a future expedition to the moon by 2024. This mission would be manned and break more than just a few firsts, including the first person of color to reach the moon, as well as the first female to get to the lunar rock as well.
Artemis I was also an opportunity to test new equipment that NASA had been using. The space capsule itself, called Orion, is one of the newer space things that NASA will be happy to admit that it worked successfully.
A safe mission will give NASA the encouragement it needs to pursue this current project and other goals ahead.
EDIT: NASA’s Orion spacecraft safely landed in the Pacific Ocean at 11:41 AM Central Time. The landing was deemed to be a full-fledged success.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/11/science/nasa-artemis-orion-splashdown
Image Credits: NASA
