{"id":55749,"date":"2026-04-11T15:51:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T15:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eritrea\/all-news\/artemis-astronauts-prepare-for-re-entry-and-splashdown"},"modified":"2026-04-11T16:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T16:37:53","slug":"artemis-astronauts-prepare-for-re-entry-and-splashdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eritrea\/all-news\/artemis-astronauts-prepare-for-re-entry-and-splashdown","title":{"rendered":"Artemis astronauts prepare for re-entry and splashdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Eritrea. <\/strong> <\/span>The Artemis II astronauts conducted a historic lunar flyby, gathered invaluable data and took in unprecedented Moon views, but one of the most crucial moments of their 10-day mission is still to come: Friday\u2019s splashdown.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen voyaged further from Earth than any human before, in a mission considered a key stepping stone toward eventual crewed lunar landings, and more.<\/p>\n

They are scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 5:07 p.m. local time (0007 GMT), after which NASA and the military will help them get out of the capsule and fly them to a recovery ship.<\/p>\n

Their journey has been rich in milestones and already resulted in stunning photographs that have captivated the imaginations of people on Earth.<\/p>\n

But until the astronauts are home safe, it\u2019s too early to talk about success, NASA\u2019s Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya told a briefing Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we can start celebrating is when we have a crew safely in the medbay of the ship,\u201d the high-ranking official said. \u201cThat\u2019s really when we can allow the emotions to take over, and, you know, start talking about success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to have the crew home before we do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vital heat shield<\/p>\n

The stakes are particularly high given concerns that arose during Artemis I, a 2022 uncrewed test flight to the Moon and back that saw the Orion heat shield erode in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

The heat shield is vital: During their reentry, the Orion spacecraft will face temperatures peaking around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), or half as hot as the surface of the Sun.<\/p>\n

The astronauts will come hurtling back at a maximum velocity of 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second \u2014 more than 30 times the speed of sound.<\/p>\n

The heat shield is meant to slowly erode \u2014 \u201cablate,\u201d as NASA puts it \u2014 to protect the capsule, a process that during Artemis I was disrupted.<\/p>\n

To minimize any risk to the crew, NASA has changed the reentry path they had used in that test mission, after determining it had played a role in the complications.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have high confidence in the system and the heat shield and the parachutes and the recovery systems we put together,\u201d Kshatriya said. \u201cThe engineering supports it, the Artemis I flight data supports it. All of our ground test supports it. Our analysis supports it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd tomorrow, the crew is going to put their lives behind that confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked later about stress levels on the ground, NASA\u2019s associate administrator said \u201cit\u2019s impossible to say you don\u2019t have any irrational fears left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I would tell you, I don\u2019t have any rational fears about what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joy and anxiety<\/b><\/p>\n

NASA said loved ones of the astronauts will be watching the return from Houston\u2019s mission control.<\/p>\n

Catherine Hansen, the wife of astronaut Jeremy, told AFP that \u201cit has been a very emotional week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of happiness and excitement, a lot of joy,\u201d she said, but also \u201csome anxiety and some wanting to get him home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second phase of the Artemis program has been described by NASA as a \u201ctest mission,\u201d including to verify the reliability of the Orion capsule, which before now had not carried humans.<\/p>\n

It was also a voyage marked by historic achievements: Glover was the first person of color to fly around the Moon, Koch was the first woman, and Canadian Hansen the first non-American.<\/p>\n

The crew have reported in vivid detail features of the lunar surface and later witnessed a solar eclipse as well as meteorite impacts.<\/p>\n

NASA senior official Lakiesha Hawkins told a briefing this week that \u201cwhen the mission goes well, it can look like flying to the Moon is easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt certainly is not,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe can\u2019t forget that this is a test flight, and we are taking everything that we\u2019re learning forward to support the next mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Late Wednesday, astronaut Koch said that \u201cevery single thing we do\u201d is with the next crew in mind.<\/p>\n

And mission commander Wiseman reflected that \u201cwhat we really hoped in our soul is that we could, for just a moment, have the world pause \u2014 and remember that this is a beautiful planet in a very special place in our universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should all cherish what we have been gifted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Eritrea<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Eritrea. The Artemis II astronauts conducted a historic lunar flyby, gathered invaluable data and took in unprecedented Moon views, but one of the most crucial moments of their 10-day mission is still to come: Friday\u2019s splashdown. Earlier this week, Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen voyaged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":55748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,9],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-55749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-miscellaneous","tag-eritrea"],"yoast_head":"\nArtemis astronauts prepare for re-entry and splashdown - Eritrea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag"> Africa-Press - Eritrea. 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