Artemis II Orion splashes down safely after scorching 13-minute re-entry
Technology
NASA's Artemis II mission just wrapped up its journey, with the Orion spacecraft making a safe splashdown after a tense 13-minute re-entry on April 11, 2026.
The capsule survived blazing temperatures, up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), and even a short blackout when it lost contact due to ionized plasma.
Thankfully, the parachutes worked perfectly and Orion landed gently in the ocean at about 24km/h.
Engineers altered descent path, saved time
Before launch, engineers found more than 100 flaws in Orion's heat shield from earlier tests.
Instead of rebuilding it and risking big delays, they tweaked the descent path to spread out the heat and keep things safe.
This move paid off: not only did it save time, but it also cleared the way for future lunar missions.