PHOTOS/ Artemis II and the historic mission around the moon

2026-04-11 09:53:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

NASA's Orion spacecraft successfully returned to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California after a nearly 10-day mission in space. The Artemis II mission marks a historic moment as it is the first human crewed flight to the Moon in more than 50 years.

The capsule, called “Integrity,” entered Earth’s atmosphere at a very high speed, about 32 times the speed of sound, enduring extreme temperatures of up to 2,760 degrees Celsius. During this critical phase, communication with Earth was cut off for several minutes due to ionized gases surrounding the spacecraft. However, the system worked as planned and the capsule landed safely with the help of parachutes.

There were four astronauts on board: Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. All were recovered in good health by NASA and US Navy teams less than two hours after landing.

During the mission, the crew traveled about 1.1 million kilometers and reached a maximum distance of over 252 thousand miles from Earth, breaking the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. The astronauts completed two orbits around the Earth and a close flyby of the Moon, passing about 4,000 miles above its surface.

The mission also has special significance for the history of space exploration, as Glover became the first black astronaut, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American citizen to participate in such a lunar mission.

This flight constitutes a critical test for the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface starting later this decade, for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission. It also serves as an important step toward the long-term goal of sending humans to Mars.

NASA is developing this program in collaboration with international partners and private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, which are building lunar landing systems. However, the program faces challenges, including technical delays and budget constraints.

Following the success of Artemis II, NASA's focus shifts to future missions, including Artemis III, which is expected to achieve the first landing of astronauts on the lunar surface in the modern era.

This mission is considered a major achievement for science and technology, restoring global interest in space exploration and opening a new chapter in the race for the Moon./ CNA