SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — As NASA’s Orion spacecraft was around 250,000 miles from earth Monday for its historic flight, Bay Area companies keeping a close eye as they prepare for future missions.
“I would say exciting, historic, and one of those, ‘Remember where you were moments,’ to me,” said Dr. Eugene Tu, center director at NASA Ames Research Center.
Dr. Eugene Tu is the center director at NASA Ames Research Center. He’s describing the moments on the Artemis II flyby space mission going around the moon.
Tu says NASA Ames has teams from the Bay Area currently at Johnson Space Center communicating with the astronauts.
VIDEO: Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record with daring moon flyby that included a solar eclipse
The Artemis II astronauts are sailing through their record-breaking trip around the moon that already is providing unprecedented views of the far side.
“Who will be working with the crew, and helping the crew, do their science work as they go around the far side of the moon. Identifying features of the far side, and also potentially looking for future landing spots,” said Tu.
And while the heat shield used on the spacecraft was tested and developed at the Ames Research center in Mountain View, along with thermal protection systems; smaller companies have partnered with NASA on future space projects.
“You are at Heliospace Corporation right here in Berkeley, California where we design, manufacture, and deliver space qualified hardware for the moon, the sun, and the outer solar system,” said Greg Delory, former space scientist and space entrepreneur.
That is Greg Delory, who is a former space scientist and space entrepreneur. He showed ABC7 the space antennas at the Heliospace facility Monday, along with their space simulation chamber. Their antennas are already on the moon.
VIDEO: Artemis II’s moonbound astronauts capture Earth’s brilliant blue beauty as they leave it behind
A day after lift-off, ABC News’ Gio Benitez spoke with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen from their Orion spacecraft.
“The point being, you’re on the moon now,” said ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter J.R. Stone.
“Our hardware is on the moon, things that I have touched are sitting up there baking in the sun, it’s really exciting to think about,” said Delory.
He’s watching the Artemis II mission but his focus is the Artemis IV mission in 2028, one of the first landing missions to the moon’s lunar South Pole. Heliospace is helping to design and build some of the instruments deployed on the surface during that mission.
“This is going to kick off the next era of lunar exploration and we’re really excited to take part in that,” said Delory. “Artemis II is a great step, but let’s be clear, we want to get to the surface so we have to keep the program going.”
All eyes will be on the Artemis II Friday too as it is set to come back to earth. At the Chabot Space and Science Center, they are set to have an all day splashdown party from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the crew splashing into the pacific at 5:17 p.m. PDT.
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