Artemis 1, Orion has said goodbye to the moon and is heading back to Earth
After waving goodbye for the last time to the Moon, never so close at only 128 kilometers (128 miles) away, the Orion capsule of the Artemis 1 mission has completed its last major maneuver to enter the road back to Earth.
Taking advantage of lunar gravity and the thrust of the European Service Module’s (Esm) main engine, which was turned on for about three and a half minutes, Orion accelerated in the direction of Earth. Confirmation of success will come in minutes once the Deep Space Network antennas regain contact with Orion after the expected communications blackout due to the passage behind the Moon’s hidden face.
We have retrieved signal with @NASA_Orion after an expected loss of signal when the spacecraft flew directly behind the Moon.
You can see Earth in the distance. That's us. #Artemis https://t.co/gOdqk9dqV1 pic.twitter.com/I19mpVgFWK
— NASA (@NASA) December 5, 2022
Scheduled to return Dec. 11 with a dip in the Pacific
The Orion capsule of the Artemis mission has successfully completed its maneuver and is on its way home, NASA confirmed, after the spacecraft resumed communications with Deep Space Network antennas following the expected communications blackout due to Orion’s passage behind the Moon’s hidden face. The return to Earth is scheduled for Dec. 11, when the crew module will separate from the service module and re-enter the atmosphere for a ditching in the Pacific Ocean.