Return to Kerbin
As the Mun was getting smaller and smaller by the minute ...
... Kerbin was getting bigger.
Although its current orbit would take it low enough into the amtosphere for aerobraking, the fact that it did not carry the Lunar Module back meant there was still a lot of fuel left. So the mission controllers decided they could do a final burn before reentry to try and get the capsule to splash down near the space port:
Just before entering the atmosphere, the command capsule finally dettached from the rest of the Command Module, in preparation for reentry.
Finally, the atmosphere caught the capsule and slowed it down from orbital velocity ...
... until the three parachutes could be safely deployed:
The capsule then splashed down safely, ending the mission.
Mission accomplished!
