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After traveling more than 1.4 million miles (2.2 million kilometers) on a A historic journey to the moon and back, NASA’s Orion capsule crashed into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday after its near-perfect test flight.
This week, NASA released a 24-minute video highlighting some of the most emotional moments from the 25.5-day mission from the moment the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. launched until the Orion spacecraft parachuted his way down.
SLS lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, kicking off NASA’s Artemis program that plans to return humans to the Moon after more than 50 years.
The video begins with the explosive launch, revealing a unique point of view of the rocket as it leaves the ground. The SLS’ two lateral boosters and four RS-25 engines produced a whopping 8.8 million lb-ft of liftoff thrust, butking it the most powerful rocket ever built.
The rocket is then seen soaring through the dark skies, followed by a fiery tail. The wing boosters and core stage fell within the first 500 seconds of the mission, while the interim cryogenic propulsion stage moved Orion towards its trajectory before separating from the spacecraft.
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Next, all attention is on Orion. The video then shows the inside of the crew cabin, which was decorated with hidden messages and keepsakes. The loud roars of the rocket launch are followed by the peaceful stillness of space, with breathtaking views of the Earth and the Moon captured by Orion’s cameras.
The unmanned capsule is eerily silent, with Commander Moonikin Campos behind it, a dummy designed to collect flight datatowards the camera. But the inanimate commander is enjoying the view, with incredibly memorable shots that reveal the Earth and its satellite in the depths of space.
During the mission, Orion performed two lunar flybys and came within 80 miles (128 kilometers) of the lunar surface.
With just under 10 minutes left in the video, the Orion capsule begins its descent towards Earth. Orion went from 20,000 miles per hour (32,100 kilometers per hour) to 20 mph (32 km/h) during its parachute-assisted descent. During its re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, Orion endured temperatures of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), which is about half the surface area of the Sun, according to NASA.
The video provides a dizzying point of view as the capsule makes its way towards the ocean, with the three parachutes fluttering above them. Orion finally dives into the ocean, ending his unprecedented journey to the Moon and back.
Moreover: NASA hid these Easter eggs for space nerds on the Artemis 1 Orion capsule
