Artemis crew home safely after completing historic mission to the Moon

The crew is now securely on a waiting ship and recuperating from a nine-day journey that brought them farther from Earth than any humans ever. The Orion spacecraft was moving at over 24,000mph (38,600km/h) when it entered the Earth's upper atmosphere, where its heat shield experienced temperatures that were half as intense as those on the Sun's surface. Their secure return paves the way for the next phase of the Artemis program, which intends to land humans on the Moon and ultimately establish a permanent base there. The intense heat caused the capsule, which the astronauts called Integrity, to lose communication with mission control in Houston for six minutes while descending. Cheers erupted as Commander Reid Wiseman announced: "Houston, Integrity here." "We understand you perfectly." The mission's critical moment had concluded, and shortly after, the spacecraft's red-and-white parachutes deployed, allowing the capsule to glide gracefully through the air. "Great main chutes!" the NASA commentary excitedly repeated, until the capsule touched the ocean for a flawless splashdown.