Artemis II reentry and the risks of ‘riding a fireball through the atmosphere’

# NASA's Artemis II Spacecraft Faces Its Toughest Test Tonight NASA's Orion spacecraft is about to execute one of the most dangerous parts of space travel—bringing astronauts safely back to Earth by hurtling through the atmosphere at 25,000 mph while generating extreme heat. The capsule will use a "skip" technique, dipping in and out of the atmosphere like a stone bouncing on water to slow down gradually before deploying parachutes for a final splashdown off San Diego. The entire process takes about 40 minutes, including a six-minute period where Mission Control will lose contact with the spacecraft.