Photo credit: www.nasa.gov

NASA and DoD to Host Artemis II Recovery Operations Event

NASA, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, is set to hold a media event focused on the recovery operations for the Artemis II mission. This milestone event marks the safe return of the astronauts and the Orion spacecraft following their journey around the Moon. Scheduled for 3 p.m. PDT on Monday, March 31, the event will take place at Naval Base San Diego, California.

A dedicated team from NASA and the Department of Defense is currently engaged in preparation activities at sea in the Pacific Ocean, where the mission’s splashdown will occur. This team is rehearsing the protocols that will facilitate the retrieval of the astronauts after their extensive journey of over 600,000 miles, representing the first crewed Artemis mission. A test model of the Orion spacecraft, along with other relevant equipment, will be exhibited for the attending media.

Media representatives interested in attending must confirm their participation by 4 p.m. PDT on Friday, March 28, contacting the Public Affairs office at Naval Base San Diego via email at nbsd.pao@us.navy.mil or by phone at 619-556-7359. Please be advised that the event’s start time is subject to alteration depending on the completion of testing activities.

Key figures participating in the event include:

• Liliana Villarreal, NASA’s Artemis II landing and recovery director from the Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center, Florida
• Capt. Andrew “Andy” Koy, commanding officer of USS Somerset (LPD 25), U.S. Navy
• Lt. Col. David Mahan, commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 1st Air Force, Detachment 3, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida

Several astronauts involved in the testing phases will also be available for interviews, providing a unique opportunity for insights into the mission.

Artemis II serves as the inaugural test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the supporting ground systems with a crew on board. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will embark on this historic mission, furthering NASA’s goal of establishing sustainable lunar exploration and paving the way for future crewed missions to Mars.

For more information about Artemis II, please visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

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Source
www.nasa.gov