AkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022
It is splashdown day for the Orion spacecraft!
Splashdown in 5 hours at 12:40 EST in the Pacific Ocean near Guadalupe Island, 250 miles SSW of San Diego.
The 6th and final trajectory correction burn occurring right now.
Shortly before the service module separates from the crew module, comms will be switched from NASA’s Deep Space Network to its Near Space Network and the TDRS satellite.
https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/sc_artemis_1?rate=0&time=2022-12-11T12:40:00.000+00:00
Webcast from 11:00 EST at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZPzmMtQA8
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Eyes on the Solar System - NASA/JPL

Explore the 3D world of the Solar System. Learn about past and future missions.

Eyes on the Solar System - NASA/JPL
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022
Here is a graph of Orion's speed and distance from Earth since the Dec 5 lunar flyby and RPF burn.
The Artemis blog site states that Orion's speed will be close to 40,000 km/h during reentry, as it accelerates rapidly during the last few hours of its return journey.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/
Data source: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/trackartemis/
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Artemis

Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022

Orion (and us virtual astronauts) taking a loving look yesterday at a crescent Earth.

"That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.
To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known" - Carl Sagan.

More pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/with/52555610193/
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NASA Johnson

Explore NASA Johnson’s 63,197 photos on Flickr!

Flickr
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022
NASA's Landing and Recovery Team is well prepared for today's event. Few days ago, off the coast of San Diego, they were practicing bringing a mock Orion capsule into the well deck of the USS Portland (LPD 27).
More pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/with/52555610193/
Also see https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/
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NASA Johnson

Explore NASA Johnson’s 63,197 photos on Flickr!

Flickr
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022
"The Landing and Recovery Team consists of personnel and assets from the U.S. Department of Defense, including Navy amphibious specialists and Space Force weather specialists, and engineers and technicians from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Lockheed Martin Space Operations."
From https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/
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Artemis

Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022
For today's reentry, Orion will use a “skip entry” technique, which has never been tried before with a human-rated spacecraft.
Orion will dip into the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere at 40,000 km/s, partially slow down, skip back out of the atmosphere, then reenter for final descent using parachutes.
Advantages:
Improved landing accuracy.
Lower g-forces on astronauts.
Lower heat rate.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/orion-spacecraft-to-test-new-entry-technique-on-artemis-i-mission
Screen cap from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkEBfxtg4Xg
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Orion Spacecraft to Test New Entry Technique on Artemis I Mission

Orion Spacecraft to Test New Entry Technique on Artemis I Mission

NASA
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCD
@AkaSci How is this different from the way the Apollo capsules did it returning from the Moon?
Dec 11, 2022 at 4:29pmWeb
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Dec 11, 2022

@martinvermeer
Take a look at this plot and also https://www.nasa.gov/feature/orion-spacecraft-to-test-new-entry-technique-on-artemis-i-mission
The green curve matches the Apollo curve.

"During Apollo, the spacecraft entered the Earth’s atmosphere directly and could then travel up to 1,725 miles beyond that location before splashing down. This limited range required U.S. Navy ships to be stationed in multiple locations.With skip entry, Orion can fly up to 5,524 miles beyond the point of entry, allowing the spacecraft to touch down with more precision."
#Artemis

Orion Spacecraft to Test New Entry Technique on Artemis I Mission

Orion Spacecraft to Test New Entry Technique on Artemis I Mission

NASA