Artemis II: Orion Heads for Earth After Service Module Separation
FWX · Apr 10, 2026 · 3m 55sSign Up Now
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The Orion Crew Module officially parted ways with the European Service Module that has powered, cooled, and propelled the four astronauts for the last 10 days. The separation was triggered by four explosive bolts shattering simultaneously, effectively cutting the cord and leaving the capsule, Integrity, to complete the final 34 minutes of the mission alone. Just four minutes after parting ways with the Service Module, Integrity successfully completed its final propulsive maneuver of the mission.