NASA astronauts speak from space as Artemis II heads home

The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission made history when they broke Apollo 13’s record for the furthest distance from Earth ever flown by humans during a lunar flyby. They are also planning the first press conference directly from space.

NASA reports that all of Orion’s systems are working reliably and the mission is proceeding as expected.

The Artemis programme represents a key step in the US effort to return humans to the Moon and build a long-term base there, with geopolitical rivalry with China also playing a role. During the flyby, the astronauts provided scientists with valuable visual and audio data to complement what has been learned so far from satellites.

The mission is scheduled to conclude with a landing near California. Re-entry into the atmosphere will be accompanied by a maximum speed of more than 38,000 kilometres per hour.

(reuters, pir)