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Rabat– NASA successfully concluded its Artemis II mission on April 10, with the Orion spacecraft safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, completing a historic crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit.
The ten-day mission carried four astronauts hundreds of thousands of miles into deep space, where they performed a lunar flyby before returning to Earth. Artemis II marks the first time humans have traveled to the Moon’s vicinity since the Apollo program, signaling a major step in the agency’s efforts to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.
The return phase was among the mission’s most critical stages. Shortly before re-entry, mission controllers executed a precise trajectory correction to ensure Orion entered Earth’s atmosphere at the correct angle. The spacecraft then re-entered at speeds approaching 25,000 miles per hour, generating extreme heat that was successfully managed by its advanced thermal protection system.
Engineers also validated Orion’s skip-entry technique, a maneuver that briefly lifts the capsule back into the upper atmosphere before final descent, reducing thermal stress and improving landing accuracy.
Next step is to March
Following atmospheric deceleration, Orion deployed drogue parachutes for stabilization, followed by three main parachutes that slowed the spacecraft for a safe splashdown.
All four astronauts exited safely and were transferred to the recovery vessel, the USS John P. Murtha, where they began routine post-mission medical evaluations. These assessments are essential for understanding how the human body adapts to deep-space travel and readjusts to Earth’s gravity.
“This is only the beginning. We will continue to do this regularly, until we land on the Moon in 2028 to build a base there,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, appointed by Donald Trump.
“I couldn’t be more proud!” the American president later wrote on his platform Truth Social, praising the “tremendous and highly talented Artemis II team.”
“We will do it again, and then move on to the next step—Mars!” he added.
With all primary objectives achieved, Artemis II has validated the capability to transport humans safely into deep space and back. The mission lays the groundwork for upcoming Artemis flights, which aim to land astronauts on the Moon and establish a sustained human presence.
