Since his departure on November 16, the Orion capsule continued its journey towards the Moon. The mission Artemis I is a success for the moment, and the teams have succeeded in an important maneuver by flying over the lunar soil “out of sight” of the terrestrial stations and at only 130 km of altitude.
The images are stunning, and that’s just the beginning.
Orion looks at Orion a lot
It is easy to understand the palpable impatience of the astronauts who closely comment on the lunar adventure of the Artemis I mission. Indeed, for NASA, it is a question of testing the capacities of the Orion capsule around the Moon… Before to perform a similar mission with passengers in 2024. And clearly, this return of a habitable capsule around our natural satellite offers breathtaking views.
16 cameras are on board for this mission (several of which are located at the very end of the X-shaped solar panels of the service module) and they capture magnificent selfies of the capsule, useful as well for the teams who assess the external state of the capsule than for communication around the mission.
Lunar Clodrush
Early this afternoon, Orion approached just 130 kilometers from the Moon, igniting its OSM main engine to change course, signaling the entry into another phase of the mission. The teams prepared the maneuver with great care, since it was taking place in fully automated mode, on the other side of the Moon.
And without a probe capable of relaying the signals, Orion had to fend for itself. Between 1:26 p.m. and 1:59 p.m. (Paris), it was therefore necessary to rely on its internal capacities. A successful bet, with the addition of a series of shots of the Earth disappearing behind the lunar surface, broadcast in real time.
A mission loaded to the end
The mission is therefore continuing with this maneuver, but the teams have also made considerable progress with the secondary objectives of Artemis I. They have notably tested the Wi-Fi links for the cameras of Orion, the optical navigation by observation of the Moon and the Earth, orientation precision and communication constraints with the various antennas of the large DSN network, the Deep Space Network which makes it possible to recover the essential data until the landing of the capsule.
The latter will again benefit from four days of cruising, before an engine ignition scheduled for November 25 to officially enter its DRO orbit (Direct Retrograde Orbit) about 64,000 km from the lunar surface. It will be time to start thinking about his return! And it will be highly anticipated, even for space enthusiasts, because on Orion’s hard drives, there will be thousands of HD photos that will be added to current views.
Source : NASA + direct
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