Artemis II crew will lose communication with mission control during reentry. Here’s why

The Artemis II crew is on the verge of completing their 10-day mission following their historic lunar flyby. The mission will culminate on Friday with the most challenging phase of any astronaut’s journey – reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, followed by splashdown.

As the spacecraft makes its descent back to Earth, it will face intense heat and friction, reaching temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This process will transform the spacecraft into a fiery spectacle, traveling at speeds exceeding 24,000 mph. The journey from space to splashdown off the coast of San Diego will take approximately 13 minutes.

During reentry, the Artemis II crew will experience a planned six-minute blackout period where communication with Mission Control will be lost. This blackout is caused by the plasma bubble created around the spacecraft due to the friction and compression of the atmosphere. Despite the loss of communication, the crew inside Orion will remain focused on monitoring onboard systems and ensuring a safe descent.

The heat shield located on the underside of the spacecraft plays a crucial role during reentry, protecting the crew from the extreme temperatures. Maneuvering jets onboard Orion will help maintain the correct orientation for the heat shield to effectively shield the spacecraft.

Once Orion emerges from the blackout period, it will still be traveling too fast for a safe splashdown. Special parachutes will be deployed to slow down the spacecraft’s speed to a manageable 20 mph before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to conclude with splashdown at 5:07 p.m. PT/8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, April 10. Watch live coverage of the crew’s return to Earth on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu. This mission marks another significant step in NASA’s exploration of deep space and paves the way for future manned missions to the moon and beyond.