On Friday, NASA's Artemis II capsule carrying four astronauts concluded a nearly 10-day journey in space. This marked a crucial step toward landing astronauts on the moon again for the first time since Apollo 17.

Historic Return Marks New Era Of Lunar Exploration

The crewed Orion capsule parachuted into the Pacific Ocean at approximately 8:07 p.m. ET, concluding a mission that spanned nearly 694,000 miles and included a close lunar flyby about 252,000 miles from Earth.

The splashdown was broadcast live via a NASA webcast on X. Sharing it, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said, "Welcome home."

Extreme Re-Entry Pushes Orion To The Limit

The spacecraft endured a 13-minute descent through Earth's atmosphere, facing temperatures near 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit due to intense friction.

As expected, a plasma sheath formed around the capsule, temporarily disrupting communications with the crew before signals were restored.

The successful deployment of parachutes slowed Orion to roughly 15 mph.

The crew included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Artemis Program Eyes 2028 Moon Landing

The mission builds on the success of Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight conducted in 2022 and serves as a critical dress rehearsal for future lunar landings.

NASA aims to use Artemis missions to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, laying the groundwork for eventual missions to Mars.

Prime contractors tied to the Artemis II included Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), which built the Orion capsule, with its shares slipping 1.63% to close at $613.72 on Friday and rose 0.37% to $616.00 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.

Meanwhile, Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA), a key developer of the Space Launch System rocket, saw its stock slip 1.10% to $217.63 during regular hours.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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