Spaceship Orion of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at a record distance from Earth, He took an impressive photograph of our planet and the Moon.
NASA shared the photo that shows both Earth and our natural satellite in the background. Like some Apollo photographs, the image puts humanity’s home into perspective.
According to the report published on the Engadget website, Orion took the photo around its maximum distance from Earth of just over 430 km.which is the farthest a human-oriented spacecraft has traveled, surpassing even the Apollo 13 record of 400 km since 1970.
In particular, the mission Artemis I represents the first time explorers attempted to travel that far: Apollo 13 only ventured this far from Earth because the US space agency’s emergency flight required the Moon as a slingshot.
Orion and a journey that exceeds expectations
This first Artemis flight has so far exceeded NASA’s expectations. While the mission team has only completed 31 of the 124 main objectives so far, it is adding goals like extended thruster tests.
The report adds that about half of the remaining activities are in progress and the rest is highly dependent on a return to Earth.
Orion is expected to return off the coast of San Diego on December 11. In May 2024, the mission Artemis II will fly close to the satellite without landing, while artemis iiito be carried outnot before 2025″, will be the final landing.
The last NASA mission in which its astronauts set foot on the Moon dates back to Apollo 17, which took place between December 7 and 19, 1972.