The Orion spacecraft is about to embark on the last leg of the Artemis mission around the moon. Thursday evening the spaceship’s engines will be started with which the spaceship will begin the journey back to Earth.
The spacecraft is now in orbit around the moon, about 400,000 kilometers from Earth and about 80,000 kilometers from the Moon. Orion flies at a speed of approximately 3,300 kilometers per hour.
On Thursday at 22:53 Dutch time, the engines must be started so that the vessel can leave the runway. Then take a dive beyond the moon. That pendulum should give it enough speed to detach from the moon and make the crossing to Earth. Orion is scheduled to dive into the Pacific Ocean on December 11th.
Orion became launched on November 16th, with no people on board. Almost a week after departure, the ship did a dive enter an oval orbit around the moon. A week later she reached the the farthest distance ever seen for a spacecraft designed to carry people. It was then 430,000 kilometers from Earth.
The first Artemis lunar mission is intended to test all systems in the capsule. The next mission is scheduled for 2024. Then the spacecraft has to fly around the moon with four people on board. During the third mission, around 2025, humans will set foot on the moon for the first time since 1972.
The Orion consists of two parts. The astronauts will then be seated in the front, American part. The rear, which provides power and propulsion, was developed by Europe. This also includes the solar panels, which were developed and built by Airbus Nederland of Leiden. The unmanned aircraft is doing better than expected, says the US space agency NASA.
