NASA's Artemis II moonship returns home to its launch site after historic voyage
NASA's Artemis II Orion capsule has returned to Kennedy Space Center after completing a historic 10-day mission, marking the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific on April 10 and was transported from San Diego to Florida for post-mission analysis. Engineers will now inspect the heat shield and reuse components ahead of the Artemis III mission. The crew, having undergone medical evaluations, are now taking time to recover and reflect on their journey.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The spacecraft that flew four astronauts around the moon is back where its record-breaking journey began. NASA’s Artemis II capsule returned to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, almost a month after blasting off on humanity’s first lunar trip in more than a half-century. Following its splashdown in the Pacific on April 10, the Orion capsule was trucked from San Diego to Cape Canaveral. Engineers will examine the capsule’s heat shield in more detail along with everything else in preparation for next year’s Artemis III docking demo in orbit around Earth. The capsule’s electronic boxes will be removed and recycled, along with research equipment.
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