NASA's Orion Spacecraft Enters Lunar Orbit a Week 

By  H.JanGra

www.lifeactive.in

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NASA's Orion spacecraft was placed in lunar orbit Friday, officials said, as the much-delayed Moon mission proceeded successfully.

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A little over a week after the spacecraft blasted off from Florida bound for the Moon 

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The spacecraft is to take astronauts to the Moon in the coming years — the first to set foot on its surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972.

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This first test flight, without a crew on board, aims to ensure that the vehicle is safe.

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"The orbit is distant in that Orion will fly about 40,000 miles above the Moon," NASA said.

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It will take Orion about a week to complete half an orbit around the Moon. It will then exit the orbit for the return journey home 

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The ship is expected to go up to 40,000 miles beyond the Moon, a record for a habitable capsule. 

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The current record is held by the Apollo 13 spacecraft at 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from Earth.

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It will then begin the journey back to Earth, with a landing in the Pacific Ocean scheduled for December 11, after just over 25 days of flight.

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The success of this mission will determine the future of the Artemis 2 mission, which will take astronauts around the Moon without landing 

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