refresh
2026-04-10T13:26:38.000Z
Final review of the crew’s mission
While we can’t give you the exact backstory on the contents of the crew’s dreams at this point, we can at least share some of their bedtime reflections on their historic journey.
When asked what she would tell her younger self about what they do now, Christina Koch recalled a family trip to the Kennedy Space Center when she was 10 years old.
“If you told that little girl who took Earthrise photos home and hung them in her room that she would end up starting from the same place and seeing the same views, I don’t think she would believe it,” Koch said. “But I still can’t believe it, and I’m sure she won’t either, but she followed that dream and it turned out to be a reality.”
“It’s such an honor to hear that we were inspired. It’s really one of the top things we’ve ever wanted to do,” she concluded.
2026-04-10T13:18:42.149Z
What are the Artemis II astronauts doing now?
3:05am: Crew sleep begins.
11:35 a.m.: Crew wakes up for flight day 10
1:50 p.m.: Orion cabin setup begins for reentry.
14:53 Return trajectory correction burn
6:30pm: NASA+ coverage begins
7:33pm: Separation of crew module and service module
7:37 p.m.: Crew module raises burn
7:53 PM: Admission Interface
8:07pm: Splashdown in the Pacific
10:30 p.m.: Post-splashdown press conference at NASA Johnson Space Center
ben turner
Trend News Deputy Editor
2026-04-10T13:07:17.860Z
What time is Splashdown?
patrick pester
Popular news writer
2026-04-10T11:52:35.061Z
So what about parachutes?
Heat shield durability is certainly a big question today, but what about that parachute that Ben mentioned earlier?
A total of 11 parachutes are attached to the Orion spacecraft, all of which are deployed in a very specific order to slowly stabilize the capsule and lower it safely into the ocean. These include three forward baycover parachutes, two drogue parachutes, three pilot parachutes, and three main parachutes.
The most iconic of these are the three main parachutes, each measuring 116 feet (35 meters) in diameter, weighing 300 pounds (136 kilograms), and consisting of 10,000 square feet of fabric.
Upon re-entry, the crew would experience six minutes of radio interference due to the build-up of super-hot plasma around the capsule. After this, NASA will first deploy two drogue parachutes at an altitude of 6.7 kilometers (22,000 feet). Then, at around 1.8 km (6,000 ft), the three main chutes are released and the Orion capsule slowly descends at 20 mph (32 km/h) before splashdown.
Kenna Hughes Castleberry
content manager
2026-04-10T11:39:55.917Z
feel the heat
The Artemis II crew will return to Earth at a record-breaking speed, reaching the top of the atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 kilometers per hour).
To dissipate all that energy and reach a more reasonable splashdown speed of 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour) in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, the Orion capsule uses two key technologies: a parachute and a heat shield.
Artemis II’s heat shield is designed to protect the crew and slow the capsule by heating it to about 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit). But there’s a problem with that. It’s nearly identical to Artemis I’s heat shield, which infamously cracked during atmospheric reentry.
Therefore, the next stage of this mission will be the most dangerous.
But while NASA officials acknowledged they had “unreasonable” doubts, they said they were not worried. why? For the complete answer, check out Patrick’s story here.
2026-04-10T11:30:53.908Z
what goes up
Good morning, science fans! We’re back to cover the harrowing final stages of the Artemis II mission. The mission saw a crew of four astronauts embark on a 685,000-mile (1.1 million-kilometer) 10-day journey around the moon and back.
The crew, consisting of Captain Reed Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, has captivated millions of people around the world with their voyages, delivering stunning images, scientific insights, laughter and tears while making history and laying the foundation for man’s return to the moon.
All that’s left now is to get home safely.
Just hours away from re-entering the atmosphere at record-breaking speed, Live Science will follow every moment of the finale of this perilous journey, bringing you the latest information and expert commentary. Let’s see them home.
ben turner
Trend News Deputy Editor
You must verify your public display name before commenting
If you log out and log back in, you will be asked to enter a display name.
Logout
Source link
