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In a Nutshell
The Artemis II crew, aboard the Orion capsule, prepares for a high-risk re-entry into Earth's atmosphere at 24,000 mph, generating 5,000-degree temperatures protected only by the heat shield, with splashdown off San Diego in the Pacific. After 9 days in space, the astronauts face a 6-minute communications blackout, phased parachute deployment, and naval recovery, following Artemis I's heat shield issues addressed by trajectory adjustments. Live coverage begins at 7:30 Eastern, marking the first crewed Orion splashdown.
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Good evening everyone. Jerica Duncan in for Tony Dacopo. Anticipation is building for tonight's return to Earth for the crew of Artemis II. Astronauts making final preparations before historic mission splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego. Orion capsule returns to Earth's atmosphere topping 24,000 miles per hour. Flying at that speed gets from New York to Los Angeles in just 6 minutes. Temperatures up to 5,000 degrees with only a heat shield to protect astronauts.
Senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann in Houston. Capsule moving more than 11,000 miles per hour and getting faster closer to Earth. Critical re-entry ahead.
[music] With Earth growing bigger, Integrity's crew woke up in space one final time to the song Run to the Water. > Can't wait to see you run to the water. See you soon.
Time for final space pictures. > We're going to need a copy of that photo when you guys get back.
Christina Koch recalls childhood vacation to Kennedy Space Center, posing in front of Saturn V rocket with siblings and parents. > If I could have told that little girl who took home a picture of Earth rise and hung it in her room that she would eventually launch from that same place to see that same view, I'm pretty sure she would not believe it.
Crew in disbelief about glimpses of cosmos for 9 days. Now time to come to Earth.
NASA anxious as re-entry in Earth's upper atmosphere always risky. 6-minute communications blackout. Capsule streaking 24,000 miles per hour. Temperatures up to 5,000 degrees.
We have high confidence in the system and the heat shield and the parachutes and the recovery systems we put together.
On Artemis I re-entry in 2022, no one aboard. In cloud of superheated plasma, chunks of capsule's heat shield broke off. NASA alarmed. Solution: keep same type heat shield, change trajectory of re-entry.
Let's not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly, otherwise we're not going to have a successful re-entry.
Naval recovery team sailed off coast of San Diego. First splashdown ever for Orion capsule with astronauts inside.
We can't wait to see the dive team and the Navy that are going to come and pick us up.
In less than 90 minutes, capsule begins re-entry 76 miles above Pacific southeast of Hawaii. Parachutes deploy in three phases, then 13 minutes later, splashdown of Artemis II.
So many excited and nervous. Live coverage of return beginning at 7:30 Eastern followed by all new CBS primetime lineup.
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