Nasa is planning a series of ever more complex outings for the capsule and its launch rocket – as part of its Artemis programme. Orion set off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 16 November. It was put into an extended loop around the Moon that saw it reach some 430,000km beyond Earth – the furthest any spacecraft designed to carry humans has travelled. The vehicle conducted a big engine burn on Monday in the vicinity of the Moon that now commits it to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. A trouble-free return at the weekend will see astronauts climb aboard Orion for its next mission in late 2024. Which country is the best for its space programmes ?
