Artemis II crew prepares for fiery return to Earth

The Artemis II crew is preparing for a historic return to Earth after successfully completing a mission around the moon.

The astronauts are travelling in their Orion capsule at nearly 39,000 km/h, facing a fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere at almost 40 times the speed of sound before slowing to a 20-mph touchdown.

The heat shield must withstand thousands of degrees during re-entry, and mission control will experience a six–to ten-minute communication blackout before parachutes deploy.

Recovery operations are set off the coast of San Diego, with the USS John P Murtha, military planes, and helicopters standing by.

The Orion capsule is fully autonomous, with astronauts only taking manual control in an emergency.

The mission has been celebrated as a landmark achievement in human spaceflight.

Видео Artemis II crew prepares for fiery return to Earth канала Sky News Australia