When a #spacecraft is launched from #Earth 🌍, its forward #velocity combined with the gravitational pull of Earth cause it to travel in a curved path. As the spacecraft heads toward another #planet 🪐, the #gravitational pull of that planet factors in to the path the spacecraft takes. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/lets-go-to-mars-calculating-launch-windows

The spacecraft departs #Earth 🌍 at a #speed of about 39,600 kph. The trip to #Mars will take about seven months and about 480 million kilometers https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/cruise

#SpaceNavigation

#NASA found that protective “char layer” material from the heat shield wore away unexpectedly during reentry in more than 100 locations. The material cracked and broke off the #spacecraft in pieces, creating a trail of debris, instead of melting away as it was supposed to. The spacecraft heats 🔥 up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry—about half as hot as the surface of the sun ☀️. Some bolts on Orion also unexpectedly melted and eroded. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-orion-capsule-heat-shield-wore-away-in-more-than-100-places-during-2022-test-flight-posing-significant-risks-180984296/

#Orion#Artemis

To safely bring the #ISS back to #Earth, a dedicated #spacecraft will have to be built, the total cost of which is estimated at $1 billion 💰 over the course of this decade.
A #SpacePolicy expert suggested the opposite idea: #raising ⤴️ the #ISS to a stable #orbit at the end of its useful life ♻️ https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2023-11-20/25-years-of-the-international-space-station-what-next-for-a-beacon-of-peaceful-international-scientific-collaboration.html

#NASA#SpaceStation#ISRU