KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The Artemis II crew is set to return to Earth on Friday during a splashdown off the coast of California, near San Diego.
The crew plans to splash down around 8:07 p.m.
Right before the return will be one of the riskiest phases of the mission, a fiery re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The Orion spacecraft will move through the atmosphere at more than 30 times the speed of sound, heating up the spacecraft’s exterior to more than 5,000 degrees.
Some concerns have been raised after the spacecraft’s heat shield was damaged during reentry for the Artemis I mission in 2022.
However, NASA says they have slightly altered Artemis II’s reentry path to help ensure the crew’s safety.
See more in the video above.
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