Watch Live! Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft returns to Earth

Watch live with us as NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft returns to Earth! ⬇️ Preview: https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-1-orion-return-earth-preview Orion is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Baja California around 12:40 p.m. EST on Sunday (Dec. 11). If all goes well, the spacecraft will enter Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean at about 12:20 p.m. EST (1720 GMT) while traveling 25,000 mph (40,000 kph). This speed will generate a lot of friction; Orion's heat shield will have to handle temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800 degrees Celsius) — about half as hot as the surface of the sun! Credit: NASA TV