NASA now eyes landing on moon
Four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis-II mission returned safely to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after a historic crewed flight to the moon—the first in over 50 years.
The spacecraft landed off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 pm (ET), marking the successful completion of a landmark lunar flyby mission. The crew comprised Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen.
The mission was the first human journey to the moon since Apollo 17 mission in 1972. It used NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew module to demonstrate deep space travel capabilities.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said the mission marked a significant step forward. “The path to the moon is open but the work ahead is greater than the work behind,” he said.
Flight director Rick Henfling confirmed the astronauts were “happy and healthy” after re-entry. The mission covered over 700,000 miles, reaching a peak velocity of 24,664 mph, and landed within one mile of its targeted zone.
During the mission, the crew captured rare views of the moon’s far side and witnessed a total solar eclipse. Henfling said there was “anxiety” during re-entry, but teams were confident due to extensive training.
NASA now aims to land humans on the moon under the upcoming Artemis-III mission and eventually establish a lunar habitat as a base for future missions to Mars.
Officials said lessons from Artemis-II would guide future deep space missions, with preparations for the next phase already underway.