Orion's Lunar Close Flyby Images | NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission

Orion's Lunar Close Flyby Images | NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission

Cameras mounted on the crew module of NASA's Orion spacecraft captured these views of the Moon’s surface. On flight day 20 of the Artemis I mission, the spacecraft made its second and final close approach to the Moon before its returned powered flyby burn. Orion is expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego at 12:40 p.m. EST (17:30 UTC) on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022.

Orion launched on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test of our SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and exploration ground systems for future Artemis missions—which will provide the foundation to send humans to the lunar surface, develop a long-term presence on and around the Moon, and pave the way for humanity to set foot on Mars.

More on Artemis I: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Image Capture Date: Dec. 5, 2022

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