ESA - Orion European Service Module-1 logo.
Dec 5, 2022
Today at 17:43 CET (16:43 GMT) the European Service Module for Orion fired its main engine at less than 127 km from the Moon's surface to put the Artemis spacecraft on a collision course with Earth.
Artemis flight day 19: A slice of Earth
Over the last 20 days in space, Orion has ventured farther from Earth than any human-rated spacecraft ever before, and the Artemis spacecraft is now truly on its way home.
The return powered flyby burn was the longest and most powerful thruster firing the European Service Module has completed, and the last big burn before the end of the Artemis I mission.
Artemis I step-by-step
The European Service Module has 33 engines that control and power Orion around the Moon and through deep space. The module also provides electricity, fuel and climate and temperature control for the spacecraft.
“Orion and the European Service Module have been exceeding expectations from the start,” says ESA's mission manager Philippe Deloo,” the four solar array wings have been producing 15% more power while we are consuming less electricity due to the spacecraft fluctuating less in temperature than expected.
Artemis I mission overview - three dimensional view
“There are some minor issues that are common for a first test flight and Orion is designed to the highest human-rated specifications with fail-safes and backups. Thanks to the engineering and hard work of the flight control teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center and ESA's mission evaluation room in ESTEC, the Netherlands, the Artemis I mission has been a smooth operation so far.”
Far side of the Moon
The largest burn in the Artemis mission occurred when Orion was flying behind the Moon and was out of contact with ground control. The three minute and 26 second firing accelerated Orion by 1054 km/h, using the Moon's gravity to slingshot back to Earth.
Far side of the Moon
The spacecraft spent half an hour without being able to phone home as the Moon blocked all signals with Earth. The European Service Modules for Orion evolved from ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicles that flew autonomously to the International Space Station. As such Orion is more than equipped to fly on its own if necessary. ESA is working on project Moonlight to create satellite navigation and communications coverage around the Moon that will reduce or avoid completely this loss of signals.
Return home
Orion is now well and truly on its way back home. The Artemis I mission will test a reentry and splashdown at speeds never attempted before so the return powered flyby has set the spacecraft up for an intense splashdown in the Pacific Ocean which will see Orion enter our atmosphere at speeds of 39 590 km/h, 30 percent faster than an International Space Station return, and 24 times faster than a speeding bullet.
European Service Module solar panels and Earth
The European Service Module has just three minor orbit corrections planned in the next six days cruise to Earth. Less than an hour before splashdown on 11 December, Orion and the European Service Module and Crew Module Adapter separate with the Orion crew capsule returning to Earth, the European Service Module and Crew Module Adapter burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, their mission complete having taken Orion beyond the Moon and back.
Related articles:
Artemis I – Flight Day 19: Orion Prepares for Close Lunar Flyby, Teams Examining Power Conditioning Issue
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/12/artemis-i-flight-day-19-orion-prepares.html
Artemis I Flight Day 18 – Orion Re-enters Lunar Sphere of Influence
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/12/artemis-i-flight-day-18-orion-re-enters.html
Flight Day 17 - Orion Fine-tunes Trajectory, Downlinks Data, Continues Test Objectives
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/12/flight-day-17-orion-fine-tunes.html
Artemis I Flight Day 16 – Orion Successfully Completes Distant Retrograde Departure Burn
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/12/artemis-i-flight-day-16-orion.html
Artemis I Flight Day 15 – Team Polls “Go” For Distant Retrograde Orbit Departure
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-15-team-polls-go.html
Artemis I — I Flight Day 14: Deep Space Testing Continues
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-i-flight-day-14-deep-space.html
Artemis I — Flight Day 13: Orion Goes the (Max) Distance
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-13-orion-goes-max.html
Artemis I – Flight Day 12: Orion Star Trackers, Reaction Control Thrusters Tested
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-12-orion-star.html
Artemis I enters Moon orbit
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-enters-moon-orbit.html
Artemis I – Flight Day 11: Orion Surpasses Apollo 13 Record Distance from Earth
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-11-orion-surpasses.html
Flight Day 10: Orion Enters Distant Retrograde Orbit
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/flight-day-10-orion-enters-distant.html
Artemis I – Flight Day Nine: Orion One Day Away from Distant Retrograde Insertion
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-nine-orion-one-day.html
Latest Updates from Artemis I
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/latest-updates-from-artemis-i.html
Artemis I – Flight Day Six: Orion Performs Lunar Flyby, Closest Outbound Approach
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-six-orion-performs.html
Artemis powering past the Moon
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-powering-past-moon.html
Orion Successfully Completes Lunar Flyby, Re-acquires Signal with Earth
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/orion-successfully-completes-lunar.html
Artemis I – Flight Day Four: Testing WiFi Signals, Radiator System, GO for Outbound Powered Flyby
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-flight-day-four-testing-wifi.html
NASA’s Artemis I Cameras to Offer New Views of Orion, Earth, Moon
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/nasas-artemis-i-cameras-to-offer-new.html
Artemis I Liftoff! 50 years after Apollo 17, Orion on Its Way to the Moon
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/artemis-i-liftoff-50-years-after-apollo.html
Related links:
Artemis I reference guide: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/img/Artemis%20I%20Reference%20Guide_Inter.pdf
Artemis II mission: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-first-flight-with-crew-important-step-on-long-term-return-to-the-moon-missions-to/
Callisto: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/callisto-technology-demonstration-to-fly-aboard-orion-for-artemis-i/
Track Orion: https://www.nasa.gov/trackartemis
Artemis I: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1
Orion spacecraft (ESA): https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion
Orion Spacecraft (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html
Images, Animation, Text, Credits: ESA/NASA.
Greetings, Orbiter.ch