European Investor
11 Apr 2026, 20:20
Lockheed Martin announced the successful return of NASA’s Artemis II mission, as its Orion spacecraft safely splashed down after completing a crewed journey around the Moon.
The mission, the first human deep-space flight in over 50 years, saw a four-person crew travel nearly 700,000 miles over 10 days, reaching a record distance of more than 252,000 miles from Earth. Orion successfully re-entered the atmosphere at speeds of about 24,000 mph, demonstrating critical systems including life support, navigation, and heat shield performance.
The milestone validates Orion’s capability for future lunar missions and supports NASA’s broader Artemis program, including upcoming missions aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon and eventually enabling human exploration of Mars.
PRNewswire
The mission, the first human deep-space flight in over 50 years, saw a four-person crew travel nearly 700,000 miles over 10 days, reaching a record distance of more than 252,000 miles from Earth. Orion successfully re-entered the atmosphere at speeds of about 24,000 mph, demonstrating critical systems including life support, navigation, and heat shield performance.
The milestone validates Orion’s capability for future lunar missions and supports NASA’s broader Artemis program, including upcoming missions aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon and eventually enabling human exploration of Mars.
PRNewswire