Former NASA Astronaut Steve Robinson Describes Return from Space Missions

Former NASA astronaut Steve Robinson provided an account of returning from space missions in an interview with NBC News. Robinson, who flew on multiple Space Shuttle missions, described the physical and sensory aspects of re-entering Earth's atmosphere and splashing down in the ocean. His comments came in the context of upcoming missions like Artemis II.

Robinson explained that the transition from microgravity to Earth's gravity feels abrupt upon re-entry. Astronauts experience increased g-forces as the spacecraft decelerates through the atmosphere, followed by the deployment of parachutes for a controlled descent. The splashdown in water marks the end of the mission, with recovery teams assisting the crew shortly after.

The Artemis II mission will be NASA's first crewed flight test of the Orion spacecraft since the Apollo program. It is planned to launch no earlier than September 2025 and last about 10 days.

The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is expected to orbit the Moon before returning to Earth. The Orion capsule is planned to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California after a successful re-entry.

Robinson noted that astronauts on such missions are likely to feel disorientation and fatigue upon splashdown, similar to his own experiences.

He described the relief of mission completion mixed with the physical strain of readjusting to gravity. U.S. Navy vessels and helicopters [are expected] to extract the crew from the capsule within hours of landing.

missions included STS-85 in 1997, STS-95 in 1998, STS-110 in 2002, and STS-114 in 2005, during which he performed spacewalks and repairs.

The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, with Artemis II serving as a key step toward Artemis III, planned for a lunar landing no earlier than 2027. The safe return of Artemis II [is expected to] validate the Orion spacecraft's design for deep-space travel.

Future missions will build on this test, involving international partners and private companies. Robinson's perspective highlights the human element in these high-stakes operations, emphasizing preparation for re-entry challenges.