Artemis II pilot talks about what it was really like to fly and land in Orion
Summary
Astronaut Victor Glover, pilot of the Artemis II mission, shared his experience flying NASA’s Orion spacecraft on a trip around the Moon. He said the real controls and handling were better than the simulations and highlighted the mission’s success in testing important spaceflight skills for future Artemis missions.Key Facts
- Victor Glover piloted the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar mission.
- Artemis II returned to Earth six days before the interview at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
- The Orion spacecraft used traditional, hands-on controls, different from the touchscreen controls on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
- Glover said Orion’s real controls were more responsive and stable than expected from Earth-based simulations.
- He praised the work of engineers and teams who built and programmed Orion.
- Artemis II tested critical skills for future missions like Artemis III and IV, which will include docking and lunar landing operations.
- Manual spacecraft control, as practiced by Glover, may only be used if automated systems fail.
- The mission gave future Artemis crews confidence about the spacecraft’s performance in space.
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