NASA prepares for what could go wrong when Artemis astronauts return to Earth

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The 5,000 mph reentry was a rough one and one of the four astronauts who just spent a week orbiting the moon has a spinal injury. “Backboard!” screams one of the rescue crew venturing into the Orion capsule floating in the water. That was the scenario being practiced by NASA’s Landing and Recovery team for Artemis II, which plans to fly humans beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years as the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, an orbital trip around the moon and back. The launch is not slated until 2024, but teams are already prepping for a...