The Artemis II crew is approaching re-entry—one of the riskiest phases of any flight, with especially high stakes for this mission. Orion will plunge into Earth’s thick inner atmosphere at more than 30 times the speed of sound, compressing air so violently that the capsule’s exterior can heat to over 5,000°F (2,760°C).
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The last time NASA and the Defense Department teamed up for a lunar crew's reentry was Apollo 17 in 1972.
