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Artemis II begins return to Earth after historic lunar flyby as Orion executes first return burn

Following a historic lunar flyby on April 6, NASA's Artemis II entered its return phase on Flight Day 7 as the Orion spacecraft Integrity executed a 15‑second return correction burn at 8:03 p.m. EDT. The crew report high spirits and NASA says Orion is "performing spectacularly" despite a lingering waste‑tank evacuation issue.

Discovered 2026-04-07T08:40:45.506140-07:00 | 2026-04-07T08:40:45.506140-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Orion's 15‑second return correction burn set the vehicle on a trans‑Earth trajectory; tracking follow‑on maneuvers will determine reentry timing and recovery operations (return correction burn).
  • NASA reports strong vehicle performance and high crew morale, but the unresolved waste‑tank evacuation issue is a mission‑level risk that must be cleared before reentry; its handling will inform future deep‑space life‑support and systems‑reliability practices (Orion systems and mission constraints).
  • This return caps months of campaign preparation and schedule adjustments for the first crewed deep‑space mission in decades; outcomes will shape operational lessons and supplier expectations for follow‑on Artemis flights (mission build‑up and timeline context).

Reported By

NBC News SpaceWatch Africa rocketlabcorp.com newspaceeconomy.ca en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br defencebuyer.com
Sources Tracked
45
First Seen
2026-04-07T08:40:45.506140-07:00
Latest Update
2026-04-14T10:58:04.077316-07:00
Coverage
Space

Sources

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