NASA’s Orion Capsule Snaps Selfie On Journey Beyond The Far Side Of The Moon
After unveiling stunning images of the Orion space capsule’s lunar fly-by, NASA has now released a selfie taken by the spacecraft as it continues its 40,000-mile journey beyond the far side of the Moon.
The space capsule will spend nearly a week in the far-flung distant retrograde orbit (DRO) before departing home with an energy burn on December 1. If all goes to plan, we’ll see the craft crashing into the Pacific Ocean on December 11.
Taken more than a week into the mission, the selfie was captured by one of the capsule’s solar arrays, featuring a bit of the Moon in the background.
According to Space.com, the pictures Orion is sending back aren’t just meant for public viewing, but allow engineers here on the ground to ensure everything’s running smoothly.
Just days ago, Orion surpassed Apollo 13’s record distance from Earth, traveling beyond 246,655 from our home planet. At its maximum distance, the capsule will likely reach 270,000 miles from where we are.
NASA plans to use the Artemis I mission as a test for Artemis II, when humans will return to La Luna for the first time in decades. The agency hopes to launch the crewed mission as soon as 2024, so it’s crucial the spacecraft survives this “stress test.”
Talk about showing both sides of the story. Nice frontback, Orion.
— NASA (@NASA) November 25, 2022
On flight day 9, @NASA_Orion took these images looking forward to the Moon, and back home toward Earth.
More full-res images: https://t.co/pUudalErEr
Track #Artemis I in real time: https://t.co/fCVt3jyqwy pic.twitter.com/bnY0uXbWnh
