NASA’s Orion capsule enters far-flung orbit around moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Orion capsule is now circling the moon in an orbit stretching tens of thousands of miles. The capsule and its three test dummies entered lunar orbit Friday, more than a week after launching on the test flight. It will remain in this broad but stable orbit for nearly a week, before heading home. As of Friday, the capsule was 238,000 miles from Earth and is expected to reach a maximum distance of almost 270,000 miles in a few days. NASA considers this a dress rehearsal for the next moon flyby in 2024, with astronauts. A lunar landing by astronauts could follow as soon as 2025.