The Artemis II mission's critical 14-minute reentry phase is set for Friday evening, involving precise maneuvers to ensure the Orion spacecraft's heat shield properly handles atmospheric friction. This represents the most dangerous part of the lunar mission, with splashdown targeted off Southern California. NASA confirms all systems are nominal ahead of this high-stakes return.
Background
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission around the Moon since Apollo, testing systems for future lunar landings. Atmospheric reentry at lunar return velocities poses extreme thermal and technical challenges.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Apr 10, 2026 at 09:50 PM
- Score
- 9.0 / 10