Diagram illustrating NASA's Artemis II mission to the Moon, featuring the Orion spacecraft components including the crew module, service module, and launch abort system.

Diagram illustrating NASA's Artemis II mission to the Moon, featuring the Orion spacecraft components including the crew module, service module, and launch abort system.
Image by Thampithangavelu/Wiki Commons

Welcome back, Artemis II’s crew!

Artemis II’s historic journey to the moon orbit and back is set to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean this Friday evening.

Splashdown is expected at around 8:07 p.m. ET at some 80 miles off the coast of San Diego.

This will crown the ten-day, 685,000-mile mission, the first crewed flight to the moon in 54 years.

The New York Post reported:

“Friday’s splashdown is unlikely to be as dazzling a sight here on Earth as the April 1 launch was — but the astronauts will have a show from within their capsule as they soar through the atmosphere at nearly 25,000 mph on a tail of fire and the capsule heats to upward of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

NASA said they’ll feel 3.9 Gs on the way back to terra firma — and hit a maximum velocity of 23,864 mph.

Parachutes will then deploy to slow the capsule, until it hits the water at around 17 mph, and the crew is snatched up by a waiting recovery ship.”

Four astronauts in orange space suits pose together against a dark background, showcasing their dedication to space exploration and teamwork.
Crew portrait for Artemis II: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel/Wiki Commons

“A Navy transport dock ship, the USS John P. Murtha, will be in position with a crew of divers and helicopters to make sure Artemis II’s brave astronauts — Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and specialists Jeremy Hensen and Christina Koch — are recovered safely from the capsule.”

WATCH LIVE:

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Comes Home (Official Broadcast)

Read more: THE LONG WAY HOME: Artemis II Is Returning to Earth After Historic and Emotional Mission Orbiting the Moon

The post WATCH LIVE: Orion Spaceship To Splash Down in the Pacific Ocean at 8:07 PM ET – Return to Earth Concludes the Historic Artemis II Lunar Mission UPDATE: Perfect Reentry and Splash Down, All Astronauts in Good Shape! appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.