NASA Evaluates Artemis II Mission and Prepares for Artemis III Moon Mission

Tue, 05 May 2026 03:54:00 +0200

Following the successful completion of NASA's Artemis II mission, the agency has begun detailed evaluations of the spacecraft, rocket, and launch infrastructure to prepare for future lunar missions. Orion, the crewed spacecraft, completed a 694,481-mile journey around the Moon, returning safely to Earth with improved heat shield performance compared to Artemis I. Post-flight inspections show the thermal protection system performed well, with reduced charring, and the spacecraft landed within 2.9 miles of its target. Several components, including seats and avionics, have been recovered for reuse. Meanwhile, the SLS rocket successfully delivered Orion to its planned trajectory with high precision, reaching speeds over 18,000 miles per hour at main engine cutoff. The upgraded launch pad and mobile launcher structures withstood the intense liftoff forces, demonstrating the effectiveness of reinforcements and protective design changes. Recovery teams safely retrieved both the crew and space