NASA's Orion capsule will travel where no spacecraft ever has under Artemis I; know more

NASA is preparing to launch its Orion spacecraft to the Moon under the Artemis programme which kickstarts later this year, possibly in August. The uncrewed capsule will liftoff atop the debutant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Interestingly, the Orion capsule, which will pave the way for the next moon landing, will journey thousands of kilometres beyond the lunar orbit. NASA says that it will travel farther than any spacecraft built for astronauts has ever reached. 

Engineers set to test Orion in deep space environment

Explaining the mission profile of the Orion capsule during Artemis I, NASA revealed that the engineers will deploy it in a path called the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) to evaluate the spacecraft’s capabilities. The agency even shared a graphic describing the capsule's journey to the moon, its operation in the DRO and its way back to Earth. Scientists chose the DRO because it provides a highly stable orbit where little fuel is required to stay for an extended trip in deep space. The orbit would also help scientists test the spacecraft in the deep space environment.

(Representation of Orion's path from launch to return to Earth; Image: NASA)

As for the orbit's name, it carries the word 'distant' because it is at a high altitude from the surface of the Moon. On the other hand, the orbit is a 'retrograde' because Orion will travel around the Moon in the direction opposite to the Moon when it travels around Earth. According to the mission profile, Orion will travel 3,86,242 kilometres from Earth to the Moon, and then about 64,373 kilometres beyond the moon at its farthest point, while flying in DRO.

The spacecraft will spend about 6 to 19 days in DRO "to ensure spacecraft systems, like guidance, navigation, communication, power, thermal control and others are ready to keep astronauts safe on future crewed missions", Mike Sarafin, Artemis Mission Manager said in a statement. Scientists are aiming to exploit this DRO because it allows a spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption and remain in position while travelling around the moon. This unique condition arises because the orbit is highly stable owing to the gravitational pull between the Earth and the moon maintaining a balance and allowing the objects in between to stay put.

The return of the spacecraft will be equally crucial for the mission team as they would learn about Orion’s heat shield and parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. NASA says that during Orion's descent, it will be accelerated to speeds up to 40,233 kilometres per hour and experience temperatures up to 2,760°C, which is about half the surface of the Sun. Data gathered during the descent will help scientists in planning methods to reduce landing risks due to extreme temperatures.