Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover guided Orion to within approximately 10 metres of the detached Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage upper stage during a 70-minute manual approach-and-retreat demonstration on 1 April 1. The exercise validates manual docking capability for future missions where Orion must rendezvous with a lander in deep space, far from the ground-based navigation aids available in low Earth orbit. No automated docking system was used. The crew flew the spacecraft by hand, controlling approach speed and orientation through direct thruster commands. Future Artemis landing missions depend on this skill: the crew must dock with a lunar lander before descending to the surface, and communication delays make full ground control impractical.
Crew Flies Orion to Within Ten Metres of Upper Stage
A 70-minute manual approach-and-retreat demonstration validated the docking skills needed for future deep-space rendezvous.
Manual docking capability, essential for future lunar landings, has been demonstrated.
Deep Analysis
Before heading to the Moon, the crew spent 70 minutes practising flying the capsule by hand to within about 10 metres of the rocket stage that had just separated from them, then retreating again. This matters because future missions will require the crew to dock with a separate lunar lander spacecraft in deep space, far from the ground controllers who usually handle such manoeuvres. The further from Earth you are, the longer it takes for radio signals to travel back and forth, which makes remote control impractical. The crew passed the test. They can fly their own spacecraft close to another object by hand in space.
Update #1 · Artemis II Commits to the Moon With Three Open Questions
