'Flames soon engulfed us': Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen describes his mission's riskiest moment
After nine days in space, the Artemis II crewmembers faced their final and riskiest challenge: splashdown. In this excerpt from the book "Earthrise: Inside Artemis II, the Groundbreaking Human Mission into Deep Space," astronaut Jeremy Hansen describes the moment from his chair.
Nine days into their journey, the Artemis II crew of four gazed out their capsule window on April 10, 2026, witnessing the vibrant blue Earth just a few hundred miles away. The mission's final milestone was splashdown, a swift and intense plunge into the Pacific Ocean, marking humanity's first crewed mission to the moon in over half a century.
Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, the lone Canadian Space Agency astronaut on board, had every reason to be confident in their Orion crew capsule's safety, but this marked his first time in space and the first time experiencing the fiery re-entry at 24,600 mph. As the crew module raised burn engaged, Hansen tightened his straps, ready for the breathtaking spectacle.
The spacecraft slammed into the atmosphere at over 10 kilometers per second, the thrusters firing constantly to stabilize the capsule amidst rapidly increasing G-forces. Flames began to engulf the capsule, a mesmerizing blue-green light piercing the darkness. Although Hansen knew the risks, he felt guilty for the stress he was putting on his family as they watched from below.
As the flames subsided and communication was reestablished with Mission Control, Hansen felt a mix of exhilaration and concern for the final moments of the mission – the parachute deployment.
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