They’ve seen something that few have seen and have sent back amazing images. Now the crew of the Artemis II is preparing for their return to Earth.
They went the farthest into space humans have ever gone, surpassing Apollo 13’s record and reaching 248,655 miles from home, NASA said.
The mission completed by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, is, as The New York Times reported, the next step to returning a person to the moon after more than 50 years.
Preparations have already begun, as the crew has stowed their gear and prepared their spacecraft for reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The crew, according to Space.com, had some tests and practice for what was called “off-normal scenarios.” They also got into compression clothing, also known as orthostatic intolerant garments, to help adjust to being stuck in gravity and counteract dizziness and lightheadedness.
On the ground, or rather, the sea, the Navy has sent the U.S.S. John P. Murtha to pick up the four spacemen.
The ship was already en route to the zone on Wednesday, the Times reported.
The cameras strapped to the outside of the spacecraft have checked for any abnormalities or damage that could affect the return to Earth, but the Integrity is said to be fine for its high-heat and high-pressure return, the Times reported.
Their trip has become a beacon of hope for those watching from hundreds of thousands of miles away. They shared amazing photos that can now become digital device wallpapers, Forbes reported, and a playlist of each morning’s wakeup music has been loaded into Spotify thanks to Space.com.
The Artemis II is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego at about 8:07 p.m on Friday, 10 days after it launched on April 1, Space.com.
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