The Orion spacecraft of the Artemis II mission is preparing to return to Earth. A sonic boom is expected as the spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere and could potentially be felt and heard throughout Southern California between 5:00 and 5:15 pm local time on April 10. The capsule will become a fireball, facing temperatures exceeding 2,500 degrees Celsius. The crew will be protected by a heat shield, which was modified after the Artemis I mission. As the capsule descends, its speed will decrease from nearly 40,000 km/h to 300 km/h, after which a system of 11 parachutes will be deployed for a safe splashdown. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California is expected at 8:07 pm EDT. After splashdown, Navy divers will install an inflatable front porch at Orion's side hatch to assist the astronauts. Once the crew is out of the capsule, they will be transported by helicopter to a ship for a medical evaluation, then to the shore and finally to the Johnson Space Center in California. This event will mark the end of the 10-day mission, which made the crew the first humans to orbit the Moon in over 50 years.
