THEthe journey he has brought humanity one step away from the Moon it ended in the night between Friday and Saturday with a dive into the Pacific Ocean. The Orion capsule is landed regularly off the coast of California, putting the seal on a record-breaking mission lasted ten days. The crew of Artemis IIcomposed of the Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Jeremy Hansen, has surpassed the boundaries reached by Apollo 13setting the new record for the greatest distance from Earth ever touched by a human being.
Artemis II, the difficult recovery of Orion between the waves
Although the return was technically flawless, the final recovery was a tense moment. Because of strong sea currents which made it impossible to stabilize the capsule next to the recovery ship, the rescuers had to opt for an alternative plan. The four astronauts were helped out of the vehicle and transferred up support inflatable boatsbefore finally reaching the main ship for medical checks. A small unexpected event that did not affect the success of what Isaacman defined as a “perfect mission”.
No longer just men
On this expedition, the eyes of the world were focused above all on Christina Kochthe first woman in history to travel to the Moon. His presence on board is the signal of a definitive change of direction for NASA. The space is no longer an exclusive clubbut a terrain of exploration that speaks to all humanity. Koch and his colleagues were defined by Chief Administrator Jared Isaacman as «true ambassadors and poets»capable of communicating the emotion of the cosmic void beyond the technical data.
Italy’s contribution to returning to the Moon
As the crew begins the process of re-adapting to Earth’s gravity, the mind is already turned to Artemis III. Work at the Kennedy Space Center will restart on April 20, with the goal of prepare for the landing on lunar soil. In this challenge there is also an important trace of Made in Italy: thanks to the recent agreements between NASA andItalian Space Agencyour country will actively participate in the creation of modules for the future stable base on the Moonconfirming Italy’s role as a strategic partner in the new space age.
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