Post Content The splashdown planned off the California coast into the Pacific Ocean is scheduled around 8 pm EDT on Friday (about 5.37 am IST, April 11). (File Photo)
Nasa said late Wednesday that all Artemis II operations are progressing as planned, and that a shorter re-entry range, compared to Artemis I, will be tested Friday.
After completing its 10-day mission, Artemis II, which went around the moon, is preparing for its return to Earth Friday, April 10. The splashdown, planned off the coast of California into the Pacific Ocean, is scheduled for around 8 pm EDT on Friday (about 5.37 am IST, April 11).
“All operations are nominal and excellent. The Service Module will not be brought back home. The crew will undertake some external survey of the crew module’s health on Thursday,” said Debbie Korth, Orion Deputy Program Manager.
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As the Artemis II crew prepares to return to Earth, they will also perform re-entry-related tasks and rehearse suiting up in the special astronaut garment, which helps regulate the crew’s blood flow.
“They will also perform manual piloting of the spacecraft to point it towards a celestial body. In addition, to demonstrate the crew’s spacecraft operability, they will centre the aircraft to Earth and position its tail towards the Sun, which will ensure the required solar powering,” said Rick Henfling, Flight Director, Artemis II mission.
Nasa also assured that favourable weather is forecast for wind and wave conditions, precipitation, and thunderstorms at the time of splashdown.
Throughout the past week, the Artemis II crew has downlinked about 312 gigabytes of data. Thursday saw record-high data, with the highest amount (122 GB) relayed back to Nasa ground station teams.
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The US Navy, which is supporting the Artemis II mission, has set sail its crew rescue ship towards the splashdown site in the Pacific Ocean. The assigned naval teams will conduct at least two rehearsals before the actual event on Friday.
