Hyperdrive
NASA’s Orion Capsule Comes Within 81 Miles of the Moon On Way to Lunar Orbit
- Makes flyby pass over 1969 Tranquility Base landing site
- Spacecraft performs first of two major engine burns for orbit
This article is for subscribers only.
NASA’s new Orion crew capsule came within 81 miles of the lunar surface Monday. Its path also took the spacecraft over the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility Base, where astronauts first landed on the moon in 1969.
The flyby occurred after Orion ignited its main engine for 2 1/2 minutes, a critical maneuver that put the vehicle on course to enter the moon’s orbit later this week.