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NASA’s Artemis I moon mission begins journey home to Earth

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA has shared amazing photos and videos of the Earth and the moon from its ongoing Artemis I mission.

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The Orion spacecraft reached its farthest distance from the Earth on Monday, setting a spectacular record of almost 270,000 miles.

Watch: NASA’s Artemis I mission reaches moon for first powered flyby maneuver

It’s only a matter of days now until Orion returns to Earth.

NASA engineers have been receiving data from Orion throughout its journey around the moon, but retrieving the spacecraft after splashdown will help the agency prepare for future missions with astronauts.

Watch: NASA leaders confirm discovery of artifact from space shuttle Challenger

Engineers will retrieve data recorded on board during the flight test and reuse some components.

For NASA, another major objective will be validating the performance of Orion’s heat shield during its reentry.

Read: Space diversity: Europe’s space agency gets 1st parastronaut

See more in the video above.

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