Artemis II Crew Reentry from the Moon & Splashdown! Orion Heatshield Better than Expected

And we have confirmation of crew module service module separation. And a great view, albeit momentarily. Houston, good stuff on board. Houston copies and concur. The European service module now separated from Integrity at job well done. Integrity, no action for the four CDH cautions. Those are SM related, not applicable. Integrity. So with Integrity now flying free on its own for the remaining 32 minutes of this mission. Next up, the raise burn, a 19 second firing of Integrity's thrusters. Integrity copies, get GPS 2. Coming up on the two minute mark until the raise burn. Again, this is the final tweaking of the orientation of Integrity. To put it in the right angle, if you will, the angle of attack that it will fly in during its entrance into the Earth's atmosphere. Entry interface now just 18 minutes, 25 seconds away. This is a visualization, but driven by real time telemetry. This is the maneuvering of Integrity to the raise burn orientation. Just 2,800 miles from Earth. Houston, we got a great view of the European service module out the window with the sun hitting the side and the solar rays and the NASA worm right there. It's a beautiful looking machine. Roger. And we have completed the maneuver to the raise burn orientation, one minute away from the raise burn. And the crew module raise burn is underway, 19 second firing of the thrusters. And we have a completion of the burn. Integrity, good, CM raise burn, your flight path angle is within limit. Integrity copies, looks good on board, Jackie. So the final maneuver is now complete. Our trajectory for a splashdown in the Pacific 29 minutes from now is set and will not be amended any further. And we have the right angle of attack to mitigate any excessive heat loads on the vehicle during entry interface. Integrity, Houston, a heads up about comm coverage. When you perform the 180 roll for the first minute or so in that attitude, we expect about a minute LOS. We copy. So for those who are watching the series of events coming up, we will enter the first traces of Earth's atmosphere 14 minutes, 45 seconds from now. 653 in 30 seconds is what is pegged for entry interface at an altitude of 400,000 feet, traveling at approximately 34,800 feet per second, range to touchdown or splashdown 1,701 nautical miles. 24 seconds after entry interface, we will enter a six-minute blackout period in which we will lose communications with the crew. This is expected due to the buildup of plasma around the vehicle. That's an ionization effect due to the collision, if you will, of the velocity of the spacecraft with the friction of the Earth's atmosphere. That six-minute blackout is expected to begin at 653 and 54 seconds p.m. central time. During that period of time, we will reach our peak speed of 24,661 miles per hour. That comes just short, based on unofficial data from the flight dynamics officer right now, will come just short of the velocity record set by Apollo 10 of 24,791 miles per hour in 1969. We expect peak heating on the vehicle at 654 and 52 seconds p.m. central time, a minute and 22 seconds into entry interface. At that point, we will be just 204,000 feet above the Earth, traveling at 33,000 feet per second. The blackout period is expected to last six minutes. We expect that blackout period to end at 659 and 55 seconds p.m. central time. From the end of the blackout period until splashdown, it is just seven minutes, at which point we'll start deploying the series of parachutes to slow Integrity down to an ultimate splashdown velocity of just 19 miles an hour. We see the same waiting for the 180 rolls. The parachute deployment sequence, once again, will come in several segments, but in rapid fire succession. And we have a great view of the moon out window two. Looks a little smaller than yesterday. Reid Wiseman and Jackie Mahaffey exchanging discussion on a view of the moon that Integrity's astronauts are seeing in the final minutes of this mission that will be completed with splashdown just 25 minutes from now. Three forward bay cover parachutes will be used to pull the forward bay cover off the top of the vehicle. Then two drogue parachutes will be deployed to slow and stabilize the crew module during its descent, followed by three pilot parachutes that will lift and deploy the main parachutes from the forward bay. The final sequence will have three main parachutes deployed. These will be 116 feet in diameter, each main parachute approximately 265 feet long when reefed. The parachutes will ultimately slow Integrity down from its peak speed of almost 33 times the speed of sound to a gentle 19 miles an hour at splashdown. The vehicle is now currently in a roll to the proper attitude for entry interface. Our trajectory is right on according to flight dynamics. Integrity is on a trajectory from southwest and northeast across the Pacific Ocean, descending at a rate of 15,000 feet per second. Ranged to touchdown 4,300 nautical miles, all the systems in excellent shape. Integrity, Orion in the EI roll 180 attitude. Looks good on board, Jackie. This view out of one of Integrity's windows. We had a call for three good barrows. Those are barometric pressure sensors that feed altitude and rate of descent information to Integrity's computers that will trigger the parachute deployment sequence. We are less than nine minutes away from entry interface, 22 minutes from splashdown. You can see the reflection of one of the crew members in the window. Out on the Pacific, the weather conditions remain go. Just a few clouds, some scattered clouds, winds at 10 knots, wave heights just about four feet. A gentle day in the Pacific for the homecoming of Integrity's astronauts. Integrity, back in EI attitude. Wish you the same on board, Jackie. Houston, purge is complete. Crew and vehicle are configured for entry. Houston copies. And we're in step 37, transferring NASA to BFS. And Houston, in instruction 509, we are not below zero decimal two. Integrity, no action required. Integrity. Now six minutes away from entry interface. We will hit the first traces of Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of 400,000 feet, traveling about 34,882 feet per second. Range to splashdown at that point will be 1,701 nautical miles. And once again, just a reminder, some 24 seconds after entry interface, we do expect to lose communications with the vehicle and the crew during a six-minute blackout period when a plasma shield will build up around the spacecraft due to the ionization, due to heating effects. And Flight Dynamics has just confirmed we will have a blackout period of exactly six minutes in duration. And once again, that's due to the fact that the plasma buildup around the vehicle will prevent communications and data, so we will not be able to talk to the crew members at that time, nor will we receive data here in the flight control room. Houston, everything is looking good on board. Just confirm no pre-EI downloads. Houston, concur. That blackout period to begin at 6.53 and 54 seconds p.m. Central time, and again, will last about six minutes in duration. We're four minutes away from entry interface. This view from Integrity as it crosses from southwest to northeast across the Pacific Ocean, three minutes from entry interface, 16.5 minutes until splashdown. The USS John P. Mertha and the recovery team is on station and in position, as are the airborne imagery assets that we hope to receive imagery from as Artemis enters the Earth's atmosphere and through parachute deployment. All of Integrity's systems are in great shape. The crew is ready to complete its mission just 15.5 minutes from now. All of the activities today have gone off in perfect fashion. No issues with the vehicle, no issues with the crew, and the weather at the splashdown site is go. Coming up on one minute until entry interface. Mark one minute until entry interface. One minute, 20 seconds until the expected start of our six-minute blackout. Integrity, one minute to a six-minute blackout. Integrity. Ten seconds until entry interface. And we have crossed the threshold now entering the Earth's atmosphere. We're at 400,000 feet, traveling 34,800 feet per second. Time to splashdown, 13 minutes, 10 seconds. And as predicted, we've entered our communications blackout. This will be a six-minute blackout period. No voice, no data from the crew. We're 30 seconds away from the anticipated point of peak heating on the vehicle, where temperatures will rise to about 4,000 to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the true test of our trajectory. And from the G-5 aircraft in the vicinity of the splashdown zone, this view of Integrity. So that pinpoint of light shows the vehicle as it enters the period of peak heating in the Earth's atmosphere, the first tug of gravity being felt by Integrity's astronauts since their launch back on April 1st. Four and a half minutes until the end of the blackout period. Time to splashdown, 11 minutes, 33 seconds. The landing and support officer reports that the P-3 has acquisition on Integrity. Three and a half minutes left in this blackout period. This is a visualization of the plasma buildup around the spacecraft and the repelling of that heat on Integrity's heat shield. Flight Dynamics reports that airborne assets in the vicinity of the splashdown zone do have a visual on Integrity. Still two minutes and 40 seconds left in our blackout period. Time to splashdown, nine minutes, 35 seconds. Multiple airborne assets as part of the recovery team all have visuals on Integrity. And the WB-57 flying in the splashdown zone also has a visual. And the Navy Helos also have visuals. We're still in the blackout period. Still do not have communications from the crew. We're standing by for communications from the crew. We should be out of the blackout period less than a minute from now. We are now processing data from Integrity. Landing and support officer reports the small boats are en route to the splashdown target zone. Passing through 150,000 feet, our trajectory is perfect. We're getting intermittent views of Integrity. Still waiting to establish voice communication. Integrity, Houston. Com check post-blackout. Houston, Integrity. We have you loud and clear. Your trajectory is nominal, and your recovery team have visual. Guidance looks good. No action for the enabled internal camera controller fail. Big cheers from the viewing room here in Mission Control as voice communication reestablished with Commander Reid Wiseman. For America and a waiting world, Integrity is five and a half minutes away from coming home. Passing 100,000 feet now. Range to splashdown 19 nautical miles. Integrity, impact to the camera controller fail is no cab line views of the chute. Integrity. We're processing good data through the GPS system. A good view of Integrity. Time to splashdown four and a half minutes. And a view of Integrity from the WB-57. We're at 50,000 feet. The pyros are armed for forward bay cover jettison. And there go the first series of parachutes. And we're on drogues. Houston, we're visual two drogues out the window. Two good drogue chutes. We copy. We see them. Next up, the deployment of pilot parachutes that will pull the main chutes out. Time to splashdown three minutes and 10 seconds. Perfect descent rate according to flight dynamics. We see the same onboard. Passing through 10,000 feet. Still on drogues. Main chute deployed. We're at 5,000 feet. Search and recovery beacon has been activated on Integrity. And we have three good main chutes. Good three main chutes. Good reefing. Good descent rate. We see three good-looking parachutes. Integrity. Cabin pressure indicates no need for hydrazine check. Integrity copies. This is a perfect descent for Integrity. Its crew sounding hale and hearty onboard. Time to splashdown one minute, 15 seconds. Integrity about to complete a journey spanning 694,481 miles from its launch from the Kennedy Space Center back on April 1st and a trip around the moon. Passing through 1,000 feet. Integrity, splashdown. Sending post-landing command now. Splashdown confirmed. Copy splashdown. Waiting on VLDR. Splashdown confirmed at 7.07 p.m. Central time, 5.07 p.m. Pacific time. From the pages of Jules Verne to a modern-day mission to the moon, a new chapter of the exploration of our celestial neighbor is complete. Integrity's astronauts back on Earth. And the landing and support officer reports the vehicle is stable one. We still will be deploying the crew module uprighting system to maintain that orientation. A perfect bullseye splashdown for Integrity and its four astronauts. Thank you. Yeah, so grateful to the Navy, the sailors that are here, the NASA teams. I mean, this is a joint effort that's on their way right now. These recovery forces are getting out to our Orion spacecraft to Integrity, get our astronauts back on the ship safely. Yeah, and this is not just an accomplishment for NASA. This is an accomplishment for humanity. Again, a historic mission to the moon and back. How does this make you feel, and what do you hope people take away from this? Well, I'll tell you, you know, I think about our crew members that we've all had an opportunity to observe over the last 10 days, right? I mean, they're absolutely professional astronauts. I mean, wonderful communicators, almost poets, but then I think these were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now. And I can't imagine a better crew than the Artemis II crew that just completed a perfect mission right now. So, yes, it's a huge moment for everybody, right? I mean, we are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon, bringing them back safely and to set up for a series more. I mean, this is not a once-in-a-lifetime, which you hear sometimes around here. It's like, this was a once-in-a-lifetime. No, it's not. This is just the beginning. We are going to get back into doing this with frequency, sending missions to the moon until we land on it in 2028 and start building our base. Yeah. Are we going to build on the momentum for Artemis III? I mean, it's just around the corner. Absolutely. So, I mean, that's, you know, part of me, too. I can't wait to get the crew off of integrity right now, but also getting integrity back on this ship so we can start taking a look at it because all that data is so precious to us right now. I mean, we are going to definitely want to take a good look at the thermal protection system. We're going to want to download all the data they couldn't transmit back to us and use that to inform Artemis III. But we're already making progress, right? You had SRB segments already showing up at KSC. Core stage for Artemis III is rolling out on April 20th. We're getting Mobile Launcher 1 back in the Vehicle Assembly Building. So, yes, there is a lot to celebrate right now on a mission well accomplished for Artemis II. And at the same time, we've got to start getting ready for III. Amazing. And last question, you know, for people who joined us for all 10 days to see what we can accomplish together with our international partners, what do you think about the fact that we're going to keep doing this more and more and more? It's incredibly exciting. I mean, yes, it's the contributions, like the best and brightest across the NASA workforce and across the country, our industry partners, our international partners. We had a Canadian Space Agency astronaut on board in Jeremy. We had the European Service Module. And you think in the days leading up to this launch, I mean, 48 hours prior to launching Artemis II, I was meeting with the Italian Space Agency. We signed a memorandum of understanding to build a habitation module on the moon. I mean, you have countries, all of our allies and partners coming together saying we are committed to this effort. We are returning to the moon. We're doing it to stay. We are building that enduring presence. We are going to master the skills on the surface of the moon so Sunday we can undertake missions to Mars. It's just an incredibly exciting time, and we're not going at it alone. We're bringing everybody along with us. Absolutely. And speaking of everyone, one more time, we're going to ask the crew here. You guys ready to land on the moon? Okay, well, thank you so much, Administrator. I appreciate you being here. We're, of course, going to stay on to watch the crew get extracted from Orion. So stay tuned, and we'll see you back here shortly.