- Artemis II astronauts have crossed the halfway mark between the Moon and Earth, with their Orion capsule scheduled for a Pacific Ocean splashdown today at 8.07pm ET.
- A key concern is the capsule's heat shield, which experienced cracking during the previous uncrewed Artemis I mission.
- NASA has expressed "high confidence" in the heat shield, having modified the re-entry path to mitigate risks for the crew.
- The fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere is anticipated to last about 15 minutes, involving speeds of nearly 24,000 mph and extreme temperatures.
- After splashing down off the San Diego coast, the astronauts will undergo medical evaluations before being flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
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