After a record-breaking voyage that saw it travel more than 1.4 million miles on a course around the Moon and safely land back on Earth, NASA’s Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California at 9:40 a.m. PST on Sunday, concluding the Artemis I flight test.

On Sunday, December 11, at 9:40 a.m. PST, NASA’s Orion spacecraft was captured on camera splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California.
The Artemis I mission has reached its final checkpoint, splashdown, after a successful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launch on Nov. 16 from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Before launching people on Artemis II, NASA tested Orion in the harsh conditions of deep orbit for 25.5 days.
“The pinnacle of Artemis I was the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft, which took place 50 years to the day after the Apollo 17 Moon mission. This flight test represents a significant advancement for the Artemis Generation of lunar exploration, from the launch of the most potent rocket in the world to the remarkable journey around the Moon and returning to Earth “Bill Nelson, NASA’s administrator, stated. “Without the great NASA team, it is not feasible. To reach unexplored cosmic shores, hundreds of people have dedicated years of their lives to this quest, which is motivating people all over the world to cooperate. Today marks a significant victory for NASA, the US, our foreign allies, and all of humanity.”

Source: Prnewswire