NASA's Artemis program is set to achieve a major milestone as the Orion spacecraft, carrying astronauts on a historic mission to the Moon, begins its journey back to Earth. After a successful lunar flyby, the spacecraft will make its return to our planet, splashing down off the San Diego coast in the early hours of the morning. The uncrewed mission, which has been testing the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft, is a crucial step towards sending humans back to the Moon by 2025. As the spacecraft re-enters Earth's atmosphere, it will face intense heat and friction, but NASA engineers have designed the vessel to withstand the stresses of re-entry, paving the way for future manned missions to the lunar surface.
The Orion spacecraft will make its return to Earth at 00:07 GMT, splashing down off the San Diego coast.
