The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission are preparing to return to Earth after completing a groundbreaking journey around the Moon, with a Pacific Ocean splashdown expected off the coast of San Diego at around 01:00 BST (12:00 GMT).
The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft have spent the past 10 days travelling farther from Earth than any human mission since the Apollo 13 mission, marking a significant step forward in efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.
Speaking to reporters during a live broadcast from space, pilot Victor Glover said the crew would be bringing back extensive material from the mission, including data, images and personal accounts.
“There’s a lot that’s already been shared,” he said, “but much of what we’ve gathered is coming back with us. There are many more pictures and many more stories to tell.”
The mission did not involve a lunar landing, but the spacecraft flew around the Moon’s far side - a region not visible from Earth. While previously imaged by robotic missions, this marked one of the first times astronauts have directly observed parts of the area, including large impact craters and ancient volcanic plains.
Commander Reid Wiseman said the mission included critical scientific observations, particularly during a period of around 40 minutes when communication with Earth was lost.
Despite the workload, he said the crew took a brief moment to reflect during that time.
“We paused for a few minutes to take it all in,” he said, adding that the experience of being so far from Earth was difficult to fully describe.
Crew members also highlighted personal moments during the mission. Wiseman described naming a lunar crater after his late wife as the most emotional point of the journey, while Glover pointed to witnessing a lunar eclipse from deep space as a standout experience.
Mission specialist Christina Koch said she would miss the sense of teamwork developed during the flight, describing it as a key part of life on board.
The astronauts also used their final public appearances to emphasise the broader significance of the mission. Wiseman described the current period as a “golden age of space travel”, while Glover said he hoped the mission would inspire future generations.
Attention is now turning to the spacecraft’s return, widely regarded as one of the most technically demanding phases of the mission. Orion is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, generating intense heat and causing a temporary communications blackout.
Parachutes will deploy in stages to slow the capsule before it lands in the Pacific, where recovery teams - supported by the USS John P. Murtha - will retrieve the crew.
Following recovery, the astronauts will undergo medical checks before being transported to Johnson Space Center in Texas.
Activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla detained by Israel at sea have been released from prison and are expected to be deported to Türkiye, offi...
As cities expand and climate pressures intensify, access to safe water and sanitation is becoming one of the world’s most urgent urban challe...
NATO fighter jets were activated on Thursday (21 May) after at least one drone entered Latvian airspace, accord...
A documentary produced by AnewZ highlighting the Azerbaijani city of Shaki and its living heritage was screened on 21 May during the 13th Session o...
Azerbaijan has presented its first national sustainability standard, currently under development, at the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13). The Sustaina...
Activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla detained by Israel at sea have been released from prison and are expected to be deported to Türkiye, officials confirmed on Thursday.
NATO fighter jets were activated on Thursday (21 May) after at least one drone entered Latvian airspace, according to Latvia’s armed forces, marking the latest in a series of security incidents across the Baltic region linked to the war in Ukraine.
A documentary produced by AnewZ highlighting the Azerbaijani city of Shaki and its living heritage was screened on 21 May during the 13th Session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13).
Azerbaijan has presented its first national sustainability standard, currently under development, at the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13). The Sustainable Practices Standard is being developed by the Baku-based environmental NGO, the Ecosphere Social-Ecology Centre.
Asian stocks surged on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
At least 21 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after torrential rain triggered flooding, landslides and transport disruption across southern and central China, with authorities warning that more heavy rainfall is expected along the Yangtze River.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect software vulnerabilities, reducing the time organisations have to respond to cyber threats, Verizon said in its annual data breach report.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment