Skip to content
Briefings are running a touch slower this week while we rebuild the foundations.See roadmap
Timeline

Orion

NASA's deep-space crew capsule; returned from lunar flyby April 2026 with helium leak 10x ground predictions.

120 of 120 entries (97 events, 23 interactions)

Filters
#229 Apr
#224 Apr
#1117 Apr
#1116 Apr
#1116 Apr
#1116 Apr
Affected byGGG3 geomagnetic storm
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1116 Apr
documented risk in
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1115 Apr
transferred to
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1115 Apr
InvestigatedAIArtemis III
has open items blocking
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1115 Apr
Analysed byCCCharles Camarda
publicly assessed risk of
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1115 Apr
requires resolution on
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1013 Apr

Transferred from Naval Base San Diego to Kennedy Space Center for detailed scanning

Artemis II Moon Mission: Heat shield: clean eye, scan pending
#1113 Apr
#1013 Apr
#1012 Apr
CompletedUJUSS John P. Murtha
inspected aboard
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1112 Apr
Investigated byJIJared Isaacman
authorised inspection of
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1012 Apr
Reported on byJIJared Isaacman
cleared heat shield discoloration
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1012 Apr
transferred to for formal review
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1112 Apr
Ruled byJIJared Isaacman
issued preliminary clearance for
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#1011 Apr

Revealed PCA, ESM valve, and wastewater vent deficiencies requiring pre-Artemis III rework

Artemis II Moon Mission: Three Orion reworks named in one call
#911 Apr

Splashed down 200 miles off San Diego at 20:07 EDT, crew recovered

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion splashes down in Pacific, crew recovered aboard USS Murtha
#810 Apr

Hit entry interface at 7:53 PM EDT at 34,965 fps on lofted return

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion enters atmosphere on first crewed lofted return
#910 Apr

Separated from ESM at 19:33 EDT before ESM burned up on re-entry

Artemis II Moon Mission: European Service Module burns up on re-entry, destroying performance evidence
#910 Apr

Fired final 8-second pre-entry correction burn at 15:16 EDT

Artemis II Moon Mission: Final 8-second pre-entry correction burn fires at 15:16 EDT
#810 Apr

Completed 9-second RTC-2 burn at 10:53 PM EDT, locking entry corridor

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion locks re-entry corridor with overnight burn
#710 Apr

Confirmed for splashdown 10 April on redesigned lofted return trajectory

Artemis II Moon Mission: Heat Shield Faces Its Crewed Test
#1110 Apr

Operated with helium leak 10x higher than ground-test rate during Artemis II mission

Artemis II Moon Mission: Helium leak ran 10x ground-test rate
#1010 Apr
Reported on byNNASA
disclosed hardware defects
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
prepared for transfer to
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
Completed byNNASA
fired final pre entry correction on
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
enhanced reentry dose profile of
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
Reported on byLMLockheed Martin
disclosed reusability data for
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
separated from
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
Stated byMCMission Control
confirmed splashdown of
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
Operated byUNUS Navy
recovered crew from
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#99 Apr
CompletedPOPacific Ocean
splashed down in
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#119 Apr
AnalysedAIArtemis IV
requires redesign for
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#119 Apr
Analysed byNNASA
published anomaly quantification for
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#119 Apr
Reported on byLMLockheed Martin
disclosed reuse count for
Artemis II Moon Mission · source event
#78 Apr
#68 Apr

Scheduled radiation shelter construction demo for 6:35 PM EDT Day 8

Artemis II Moon Mission: Day 8 shelter test NASA didn't measure
#78 Apr

Flagged ESM oxygen manifold overpressure as seventh mission anomaly

Artemis II Moon Mission: O2 Manifold Leak Is Seventh Anomaly
#78 Apr
#78 Apr

Cleared for re-entry after Day 8 engineering and medical reviews

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion Cleared for Re-entry With No Concerns
#67 Apr
#67 Apr

Exited lunar sphere of influence at 1:25 PM EDT, 41,072 miles out

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion exits the Moon's gravity well
#57 Apr

Witnessed one-hour solar eclipse from beyond the Moon at 8:35 PM EDT

Artemis II Moon Mission: Crew Observes Solar Eclipse From Beyond Moon
#67 Apr

Faced elevated radiation risk from newly identified sunspot Region 4412

Artemis II Moon Mission: A new sunspot rises as Orion turns home
#66 Apr

Hosted crater-naming ceremony during lunar flyby on Day 6

Artemis II Moon Mission: A crater named 'Carroll' in deep space
#56 Apr

Reached 252,757 miles from Earth — farthest humans have ever travelled

Artemis II Moon Mission: Farthest Humans From Earth, Behind the Moon
#56 Apr

Passed within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface at 7:02 PM EDT

Artemis II Moon Mission: Closest Humans to Moon Since Apollo 17
#56 Apr

Passed through 40-minute window with Earth absent from the sky

Artemis II Moon Mission: Earth Vanishes From Sky for 40 Minutes
#56 Apr

Entered 40-minute communications blackout passing behind the Moon

Artemis II Moon Mission: 40-Minute Blackout Cuts All Contact With Crew
#66 Apr

Provided vantage point for first human sighting of lunar meteoroid impacts

Artemis II Moon Mission: Six lunar impacts seen by human eye
#56 Apr

Surpassed Apollo 13 distance record of 248,655 miles at 1:56 PM EDT

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion Surpasses Apollo 13 Distance Record
#56 Apr

Entered lunar sphere of influence at 12:37 AM EDT, 39,000 miles out

Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion Enters Lunar Gravity for First Time Since 1972
#56 Apr

Fired 17.5-second correction burn, 25% longer than planned

Artemis II Moon Mission: Third Burn Breaks Orion's Navigation Streak
#35 Apr
#45 Apr

Crossed into lunar sphere of influence — first since Apollo 17

Artemis II Moon Mission: Moon's Gravity Reclaims Humans for First Time Since 1972
#34 Apr

Triggered false cabin-leak alarm at moment of TLI commit

Artemis II Moon Mission: Cabin leak alarm at TLI commit
#34 Apr

Developed burning smell from toilet hygiene bay on Day 3

Artemis II Moon Mission: Second toilet fault reported on Day 3