Today's Edition
SAN DIEGO (AFP)
The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down as planned Friday off the California coast, capping the US space agency's successful crewed test mission around the Moon, the first such flyby in more than 50 years.
Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that the crewmembers - himself along with Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen -- were "stable" and "green".
"They're in great condition, that's what that means," said Rob Navias, the NASA public affairs official who narrated their return on the agency's livestream.
Following a brief but nerve-wracking communications blackout during their high-stakes re-entry, mission commander Wiseman's voice triggered relief that the astronauts were well on their way back home. "Houston. Integrity. We have you loud and clear," he said following a voice check from mission control.
NASA and the US military helped them leave the bobbing capsule, after which they were flown to a recovery ship off the Pacific coast near San Diego.
As the astronauts returned to Earth, their spacecraft reached maximum speeds more than 30 times the speed of sound, and faced searing temperatures around half as hot as the surface of the Sun. It was a key test of their heat shield, which in an earlier trial mission had faced complications.
But the Artemis II re-entry went off without a hitch. "This was a textbook entry and a textbook touchdown," said Navias.
Historic journey
The approximately 10-day mission that began with a dramatic launch from Florida on April 1 was studded with firsts, records and extraordinary moments.
It was considered a key stepping stone towards eventual crewed lunar landings. It was the first crewed mission of NASA's programme aiming to install a sustained presence on the Moon, including the eventual construction of a base.
The second phase of the Artemis programme was a test mission to verify the reliability of the Orion capsule, which before now had not carried humans.
The voyage also broke a record: the four astronauts became the humans to travel furthest away from the Earth (406,771 kilometres).
While hurtling through deep space and zipping around the Moon, the astronauts took thousands of photographs, amassing a stunning portfolio of images that captivated people on Earth.
They also witnessed a solar eclipse along with extraordinary meteorite strikes on the lunar surface that had left NASA scientists awe-struck.
Several achievements added to the voyage's historic nature: Glover was the first person of colour to fly around the Moon, Koch was the first woman, and Canadian Hansen the first non-American.
Donald Trump on Friday praised the astronauts upon completing a "perfect" mission, writing on Truth Social: "Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud!"
"I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We'll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!"
