Orion enters retrograde lunar orbit
Engineers today successfully completed an engine burn that put Orion into the retrograde lunar orbit in which it will remain for the next week.
Due to the distance of the orbit, it will take Orion nearly a week to complete half an orbit around the Moon, where it will exit the orbit for the return journey home. About four days later, the spacecraft will harness the Moon’s gravitational force once again, combined with a precisely timed lunar flyby burn to slingshot Orion onto its return course to Earth ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Dec. 11.
As of now all systems seem to be working as intended.
Engineers today successfully completed an engine burn that put Orion into the retrograde lunar orbit in which it will remain for the next week.
Due to the distance of the orbit, it will take Orion nearly a week to complete half an orbit around the Moon, where it will exit the orbit for the return journey home. About four days later, the spacecraft will harness the Moon’s gravitational force once again, combined with a precisely timed lunar flyby burn to slingshot Orion onto its return course to Earth ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Dec. 11.
As of now all systems seem to be working as intended.