Artemis II crew extracted from spacecraft, readies for med evaluation
Washington DC, April 11
All the Artemis II crew have now been extracted after the splashdown, and will then be escorted to the medical bay, NASA stated on Friday.
As of now, they are on the USS John P Murtha and will go through post-mission medical evaluations.
In a post on X, NASA stated, "All four of the Artemis II astronauts have been successfully extracted from the Orion spacecraft following splashdown and are now on the USS John P. Murtha. Next up, they will be escorted to the medical bay where they will undergo post-mission medical evaluations."
The International Space Station crew earlier in the day caught a glimpse of the Artemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon.
In a post on X, NASA Astronaut Chris Williams said, "Our crew on the International Space Station caught a glimpse of the Artemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon! We first saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn't see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we saw the wispy trail it left behind in the upper atmosphere. Overjoyed that our friends are safely back on Earth after their awe-inspiring mission!"
The Artemis II crew has safely returned to Earth after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, marking a historic milestone in human space exploration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Saturday.
Moments before reentry, NASA shared a glimpse of the crew's final preparations, posting a celebratory "fist bump" update on X as the astronauts readied the spacecraft for its descent.
Sharing the details in a post on X, NASA wrote, "Fist bump! The Artemis II crew is now under 35,000 miles from Earth. The astronauts are preparing the spacecraft for reentry, and the weather is looking good for splashdown."
— ANI
Reader Comments
Amazing news! The image of the ISS crew watching them re-enter is so poetic. It shows how space exploration unites us all. Hope ISRO and NASA can collaborate more on future lunar missions.
While this is a fantastic achievement, I can't help but think of the cost. Billions spent to go back to the Moon when there are so many pressing issues on Earth. Could this money be better used for climate research or poverty alleviation? Just a thought.
The "fist bump" update before reentry gave me chills! The camaraderie and teamwork are incredible. Wishing the crew a speedy recovery after their medical checks. Can't wait to hear about their experiences.
This is the kind of positive news we need. Technology and human courage coming together. It pushes all of us to dream bigger. Our Chandrayaan missions have shown what we can do too. The future is in space!
Safely back on Earth! 🙏 The medical evaluation part is crucial. The human body goes through so much in space. The data from these checks will be invaluable for future long-duration missions, maybe even an Indian astronaut's trip to the Moon one day.
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