NASA's Artemis II Mission: Astronauts Set for Pacific Ocean Splashdown
NASA's Artemis II mission is nearing its conclusion as the four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft prepare to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California. The mission, which lasted 10 days and included a journey around the moon, is scheduled to end with a splashdown at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT on April 10. The reentry process involves a series of critical maneuvers, including the deployment of drogue parachutes at 22,000 feet to slow the spacecraft to 200 miles per hour, followed by the release of three main parachutes at 6,000 feet to ensure a gentle landing at 20 miles per hour. The crew module will separate from its service module 42 minutes before splashdown, and the astronauts will experience a six-minute communications blackout due to plasma buildup. The spacecraft is expected to reach a maximum velocity of 23,864 mph and endure peak heating of 5,000 degrees during reentry. 
