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On November 28, 2022, NASA’s Orion spacecraft, part of the Artemis I mission, achieved a record distance of 268,563 miles (432,210 km) from Earth, surpassing all human-rated spacecraft. Following an extensive 11-month testing program at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio, the Orion, now referred to as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to Kennedy Space Center on December 21, 2024, for further evaluations and modifications. Initially splashed down in the Pacific on December 11, 2022, Orion was transported back to Kennedy for reconfiguration and functional testing after its lunar mission. At Kennedy, engineers will conduct propulsion functional tests and simulate hot fire scenarios to examine the operation of its twelve reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, essential for orbital control and re-entry. The spacecraft will also undergo an acoustic noise demonstration test to enhance future missions. Teams will assess hardware from the ETA for reusability, furthering the objectives of NASA’s Artemis program, which focuses on lunar exploration, technological advancements, and preparations for potential human missions to Mars.
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