NASA’s Orion capsule has successfully landed in a splashdown off the Mexican island of Guadalupe after nearly 26 days of travel to the Moon and back.
The voyage was part of Artemis I, a series of missions developing human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Splashdown! 🪂💦@NASA_Orion has returned, concluding the nearly 26-day #Artemis I mission that took Orion from @NASAKennedy‘s Launch Pad 39B to a record-breaking 268,563 miles from Earth, into lunar orbit then landing safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Congrats, Orion! Go Artemis! pic.twitter.com/b4gY3pgwyl
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) December 11, 2022
The Orion spacecraft separated from its service module at 11:00 a.m. CT in preparation for return to the Earth. The service module burned up in the atmosphere upon re-entry, while Orion descended over the Pacific Ocean in a parachute-guided splashdown.
“Parachute deployment begins at an altitude of about five miles with three small parachutes pulling the forward bay covers away,” NASA explained in a press release. “Once the forward bay cover separates, two drogue parachutes will slow and stabilize the crew module for main parachute deployment. At an altitude of 9,500 feet and a spacecraft speed of 130 mph, three pilot parachutes will lift and deploy the main parachutes to slow Orion to a landing speed that ensures astronaut safety for crewed missions.”
After landing in the ocean, the module was expected to undergo testing and be transported to the U.S. Naval Base San Diego for inspection. A post-mission news conference is scheduled for later on Sunday.
On December 5, Orion completed its final moon fly-by before beginning its return to Earth. Before the final passing of the lunar surface, Orion traveled around the Moon on a trip longer than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has flown. The full trip surpassed more than 1.3 million miles.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, NASA’s Orion spacecraft headed toward the Moon in the first lunar rocket launch since the last Apollo mission 50 years ago.
The Artemis I mission launched the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, in an uncrewed flight at 1:47 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 16, from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“What an incredible sight to see NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launch together for the first time. This uncrewed flight test will push Orion to the limits in the rigors of deep space, helping us prepare for human exploration on the Moon and, ultimately, Mars,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said following the successful liftoff.
The Artemis project has been in preparation for more than a decade as NASA seeks to return humans to the Moon.
Artemis II, scheduled for 2024, is the next step in NASA’s plan to send humans in a spaceflight around the Moon in 2024. Artemis III, slated for 2025, is expected to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon’s surface.
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