Throughout both assessments, the Integrated Communications Officer, or INCO, commanded cameras on the four solar range wings to take a series of still images. Engineers and flight controllers at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston will examine the imagery over the coming days. A last photographic survey will be carried out Friday as Orion continues its journey house.
A portion of the far side of the Moon looms big just beyond the Orion spacecraft in this image taken on the 20th day of the Artemis I objective by a camera on the pointer of one of Orions solar ranges. The return powered flyby burn committed Orion to a return to Earth trajectory ahead of a splashdown off the coast of California on December 11.
Groups responsible for recovering Orion after its splashdown are continuing preparations ahead of the December 11 splashdown off the coast of California. The mission management team will figure out the landing website location Thursday, December 8. Listen to NASAs Artemis I recovery director, Melissa Jones, speak about what it takes to bring the Orion spacecraft from the Pacific Ocean at the end of the objective on “Houston We Have a Podcast.”
Just after 5:30 p.m. on December 6, Orion was taking a trip 244,000 miles (393,000 km) from Earth and about 79,000 miles (127,000 lkm) from the Moon, travelling at 500 miles per hour (800 km per hour).
On flight day 20 of the Artemis I mission, Orion caught the Moon on the day of return powered flyby. On Flight Day 21 of the Artemis I mission, Orion exited the lunar sphere of gravitational impact. A part of the far side of the Moon looms big simply beyond the Orion spacecraft in this image taken on the 20th day of the Artemis I objective by a cam on the idea of one of Orions solar selections. Listen to NASAs Artemis I healing director, Melissa Jones, talk about what it takes to fetch the Orion spacecraft from the Pacific Ocean at the end of the objective on “Houston We Have a Podcast.”
On flight day 20 of the Artemis I objective, Orion captured the Moon on the day of return powered flyby. The burn, which lasted 3 minutes, 27 seconds, devoted the spacecraft to a December 11 splashdown. Credit: NASA
On Flight Day 21 of the Artemis I mission, Orion exited the lunar sphere of gravitational influence. This was less than a day after completing the return powered flyby burn that put the spacecraft on course for splashdown Sunday, December 11.
Orion effectively carried out the 4th return trajectory correction burn at 4:43 a.m. utilizing the reaction control system thrusters. The burn lasted 5.7 seconds and altered the velocity of the spacecraft by 0.6 feet per second.
Solar array-mounted electronic cameras record close-up pictures of NASA s Orion Command Module and European Service Module on the 20th day of the Artemis I mission Windows on the Orion capsule offer a look of Commander Moonikin Campos a manikin equipped with sensing units determining radiation velocity and vibration information throughout the objective. Credit: NASA
Flight controllers used Orions electronic cameras to inspect the crew module thermal security system and European Service Module, the second of three prepared external spacecraft assessments. Groups performed this survey early in the mission to supply in-depth pictures of the spacecrafts external surfaces after it had flown through the portion of Earths orbit consisting of the majority of space particles, and groups reported no issues after reviewing the images. This second assessment throughout the return stage is being used to examine the total condition of the spacecraft several days before re-entry.