The Orion Spacecraft Will Get Closer to the Moon This Week

The Orion spacecraft is heading for the Moon, (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA - The Orion spacecraft is heading to the Moon, which was launched last Wednesday. NASA says Orion will be closer to the Moon on November 21 local time.

Moreover, NASA revealed that the aircraft that rides on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to reach its destination is currently running well, even exceeding expectations.

"Orion has performed very well so far. All systems exceed expectations from a performance standpoint," NASA Vehicle Integration Manager Jim Geffre told reporters yesterday.

.@NASA_Orion is performing extremely well and is now more than halfway to the Moon. Since launch, we've tested the optical navigation system and performed external inspections to assess the Orion's condition. Latest updates on #Artemis I are available at https://t.co/gqViM3Tl9Q. pic.twitter.com/aKdvGuDAhs

— Jim Free (@JimFree) November 19, 2022

Artemis 1 mission aims to ensure crew vehicles can safely transport human astronauts to the Moon.

The trip marked Orion's first trip outside the planet's orbit. Previously in 2014, Orion had completed a test flight of two orbits around the Earth.

This successful flight will pave the way for manned missions to the Moon and ultimately the first human landing mission by NASA since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

NASA expects the Artemis 1 mission to reach lunar orbit on November 21. At that time, Orion will perform the first of four main engine combustion that NASA has planned for the mission.

Launching Engadget, Monday, November 21, Orion will fly a little over 81 miles above the surface of the moon. "We will pass through several Apollo landing sites," said Flight Director, Jeff Radigan.

Four days later, NASA plans to perform a second burn to put Orion in a deep orbit around the Moon before finally putting the spacecraft on a return trajectory to Earth.

If all goes according to plan, Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean on December 11. All data obtained by the plane will then be further investigated by NASA.