image source, EPA
The American space agency NASA has brought its Orion spacecraft back to Earth from the Moon.
After a three-week journey around the moon, the Orion spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean near California.
After a 26-day journey around the Moon, the Orion spacecraft has returned to Earth.
The Oriya spacecraft of the Artemis-1 mission to send a man to the moon was successfully launched by NASA on November 16.
The launch of the Orion spacecraft aboard NASA’s Space Launch Vehicle (NASA SLS) rocket was a success.
As it was a test effort, no astronauts were on board this spaceship.
NASA is planning more complex missions with Orion. Those trips will begin in late 2024. It also includes an attempt to return humans to the lunar surface in 2025 or 2026.
NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon after a gap of 50 years through the Artemis program. Artemis is NASA’s plan to land humans on the moon for the first time since 1972.
NASA’s new project is named after Artemis, sister of Apollo in Greek mythology.
image source, NASA
The part containing the Orion spacecraft’s propulsion instruments, visible on the left of the image, was provided by the European Space Agency
“[அப்பல்லோவின் போது] We made the impossible possible,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
NASA sent humans to Earth for the last time in 1972 with the Apollo 17 program. On December 11, 1972, the Apollo 17 astronauts landed on the moon.
Exactly 50 years later, on the same date, the Orion spacecraft returned to Earth.
“Now we’ve done it again. But for another purpose. Because at this time we are learning to go back to the moon to live, work, discover, explore further into the universe. A manned mission to Mars should be ready by the late 2030s. After that, the plan is to go beyond that,” he told reporters.
How fast did Orion come to Earth?
Orion’s approach to Earth will be very fast. It will hit the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 40,000 km per hour. This is 32 times the speed of sound.
Due to friction and pressure on the Orion spacecraft’s surface towards Earth, its temperature can reach 3,000 degrees Celsius.
The shield covering Orion’s surface is also essential to accommodate this heat. Only then can humans be sent to space in the future through this spacecraft.
As early as 2014, the Orion spacecraft was tested once by NASA. But by the time the spacecraft returned to Earth during that test, its speed and temperature were much lower than they are now.
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