The Orion ship is now in orbit around the Moon

Orion ship NASA “During this lunar orbit, flight controllers will monitor critical (Orion) systems and perform checks related to the deep space environment,” the agency said in a blog post.

This new capsule, which is supposed to take astronauts to the Moon in the coming years – the first to set foot on its surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972 – is currently traveling more than 64,000 km from the Moon. At this distance, it would take no less than six days to cover half a lunar orbit, before starting the journey back to a land.

Landing is scheduled for December 11th

This first test flight of the Orion spacecraft, without a crew on board, should be used to ensure the safety of the vehicle. The landing in the Pacific Ocean is scheduled for December 11, just over 25 days into the flight.

The success of this mission depends on the future of Artemis 2, which will take astronauts around the moon Without landing there, then Artemis 3, which will finally determine the return of humans to the lunar surface. These missions are scheduled to officially take place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.