Artemis II Crew Ready to Return to Earth as Moon Mission Ends

Portrait of the Moon captured by the Artemis II mission crew (photo: doc. NASA)

JAKARTA - The Artemis II mission astronauts have begun the return phase to Earth after successfully completing a cross-moon flight. Now, the Orion spacecraft is preparing to perform a series of maneuvers.

Integrity, another name for the Orion spacecraft, has fired its thrusters for 15 seconds for the first trajectory correction. This maneuver is crucial to refine the navigation direction of Orion to be exactly on the designated landing point.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Jeremy Hansen, are tasked with monitoring navigation data during the engine burn process. This cooperation is carried out to ensure that all support systems remain stable during the transition.

As physical preparation, the crew is scheduled to test special clothing designed to cope with orthostatic intolerance. This equipment serves to help maintain blood pressure and body circulation when astronauts feel the effects of Earth's gravity again.

In addition, the astronauts will also demonstrate manual control of the Orion spacecraft. They will test the ability to directly drive the vehicle to compare the various control modes available.

Meanwhile, the USS John P. Murtha recovery ship is reported to have left the port for the landing site in the Pacific Ocean. NASA continues to monitor weather conditions at the site to ensure the safety of the crew pick-up process at sea.

The successful return trip will conclude the Artemis II crewed test mission. All data collected during this phase will be an important guide for the next human landing mission on the Moon.