All articles tagged with #orion capsule
NASA has delayed its Artemis moon missions, with Artemis 2 now set for April 2026 and Artemis 3 for mid-2027, due to additional preparation needed for the Orion capsule. The delay follows issues discovered with the capsule's heat shield after the Artemis 1 mission. Despite these setbacks, NASA aims to launch before China's planned lunar mission by 2030.
NASA has announced further delays in its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon. The first crewed lunar landing, initially planned for 2026, is now postponed to mid-2027, while a pathfinder mission around the moon is delayed to April 2026. These delays are partly due to issues with the Orion crew capsule's heat shield, which experienced unexpected erosion during the Artemis I mission. NASA is addressing the problem with a modified trajectory for Artemis II. The delays push the timeline closer to NASA's original 2028 target before the Trump administration accelerated the schedule.
NASA's Artemis 2 mission, set to launch in September 2025, will carry a four-person crew on a 10-day journey to the Moon and back. The crew will manually maneuver the Orion capsule through a series of moves about three hours into the flight, following a ground demo to prepare for this. The mission has faced delays due to safety and technical issues, including problems with the heat shield, life support system valves, and battery performance. Despite these challenges, the crew is preparing for the upcoming trip and learning how to operate the spacecraft manually for its orbital demonstration.
NASA has shared incredible footage of its Orion capsule's reentry into Earth's atmosphere after completing the historic Artemis 1 moon mission. The video shows the capsule's fiery plunge through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. Artemis 1, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, marked the first liftoff for SLS and the second for Orion. The mission successfully reached orbit around the moon before returning to Earth. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024. The overall Artemis plan aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon by the end of the 2020s.
NASA's uncrewed Orion capsule successfully returned to Earth, marking the end of the Artemis 1 moon mission. The capsule recorded its dramatic reentry through Earth's atmosphere, capturing a trail of fire in the sky. The Artemis 1 mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, utilized the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and the Orion capsule. The mission's success paves the way for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, tentatively scheduled for 2024. The overall goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the moon by the end of the 2020s.
NASA has released a one-minute clip of the Orion capsule's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere during the Artemis 1 moon mission. The footage shows the capsule's dramatic plunge, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. The mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, marked the first liftoff for the Space Launch System (SLS) and the second for Orion. The capsule successfully arrived in orbit around the moon on Nov. 25 and returned to Earth on Dec. 11. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024.
NASA has released a one-minute clip of the Orion capsule's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere during the Artemis 1 moon mission. The footage shows the capsule's dramatic plunge, leaving a trail of fire in the sky. The mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, marked the first liftoff for the Space Launch System (SLS) and the second for Orion. The capsule successfully arrived in orbit around the moon on Nov. 25 and returned to Earth on Dec. 11. NASA is now preparing for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the Artemis program, scheduled for 2024.
NASA, in collaboration with the US Navy and US Air Force, has successfully completed the Underway Recovery Test (URT) 10, a dress rehearsal for the recovery operations of the upcoming Artemis II lunar mission. Unlike previous tests, this one included crew operations to ensure the safe extraction of astronauts from the Orion capsule. The test utilized a new mockup of the capsule with an inflatable "front porch" for astronauts to exit onto. Helicopters were then used to transport the crew to the recovery vessel, USS John P. Murtha. Lessons learned from this test will contribute to the safety and effectiveness of future crewed Artemis missions.
The European Service Module-2 (ESM-2) for NASA's Artemis 2 mission has been officially handed over to NASA by the European Space Agency (ESA) after extensive tests. The ESM-2 will supply power, life support, water, fuel, and propulsion to the astronauts on board the Orion capsule during the mission around the moon. The Artemis 2 mission will carry four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back that will last approximately 10 days. The ESM-2 must still undergo a few tests before engineers are able to mate the module with Orion, and NASA is targeting November 2024 for the launch of the landmark mission.