Science and Exploration

Lunar Close-up By Orion

By Keith Cowing
Press Release
NASA
December 10, 2022
Lunar Close-up By Orion
Lunar Close-up By Orion
NASA

The optical navigation camera mounted on the Orion spacecraft captured these views of the Moon’s surface.

On flight day 20 of the Artemis I mission, the spacecraft made its second and final close approach to the Moon before its returned powered flyby burn.

Orion uses the optical navigation camera to capture imagery of the Earth and the Moon at different phases and distances, providing an enhanced body of data to certify its effectiveness under different lighting conditions as a way to help orient the spacecraft on future missions with crew.

Date Created: 2022-12-05 NASA ID: art001e002593
art001e002593 (Dec. 5, 2022): Larger image

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