Brendan Byrne

Returning from space is risky.

The spacecraft will reach speeds up to 25,000 miles per hour and could experience temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit once it hits the atmosphere.

It will take 13 minutes for the capsule to splash down under a canopy of parachutes.

A lot has to go right to return them safely, says Jeff Radigan, the Artemis II lead flight director, starting with their initial approach.

During the return, mission control will lose contact with the spacecraft for around six minutes.

The mission marks the first lunar journey for humans in more than 50 years, sending the crew farther into space than ever before.

For NPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne in Orlando.

Let's not beat around the bush.

We have to hit that angle correctly.

Otherwise, we're not going to have a successful reentry.

Good morning, Steve.

How do the astronauts get home?

So the crew has been preparing their cabin for reentry for a bit now.

They're packing all of their stuff up.

They're putting their seats back in place, pulling out their spacesuits.

They're going to hit the Earth's atmosphere about 25,000 miles per hour.

Wow.

Experienced temperatures.

Yeah, it's fast.

Experienced temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.