The Orion spacecraft has successfully landed after a critical mission around the Moon

A splash for NASA. The Orion ship It eventually landed in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, December 11 Mission Artemis 1 It is intended to prepare for the return of humans to the Moon. During this test mission, the capsule, without an astronaut, was slowed in its inverted descent by a series of parachutes. The ship must now be recovered and placed on a US Navy ship off the Mexican island of Guadalupe.

The heat shield of the 5 meter diameter capsule was successfully tested by returning to Earth. “It is an important safety component designed to protect the ship and its passengers.”Mission Manager Mike Sarafin explained. “The heat shield should work.”

A relaunch with astronauts is planned for 2024

A total of over 25 days, the mission was a success Important to NASA. The US company has invested billions of dollars to return to the Moon program, ready for a future mission to Mars with its ultimate goal. In total, the spacecraft has traveled more than 2.2 million kilometers into space Departed on 16 November. Orion flew by the Moon only 130 kilometers from its surface.

Some of the ship’s components will be reused for the Artemis 2 capsule, which is already well advanced. This second mission, planned for 2024, will take a crew to the moon, but has yet to land there. NASA should announce the names of the selected astronauts soon.