NASA’s Orion capsule made a safe return to Earth on Sunday, December 11, 2022.

It parachuted into the Pacific off Mexico to conclude a test flight that should clear the way for astronauts on the next lunar flight.

The incoming capsule hit the atmosphere at Mach 32, or 32 times the speed of sound, and endured reentry temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) before splashing down west of Baja California near Guadalupe Island.

A Navy ship quickly moved in to recover the spacecraft and its silent occupants; three test dummies fitted with vibration sensors and radiation monitors.

NASA described the descent and splashdown as close to perfect, as congratulations poured in from Washington.

NASA Administrator, Bill Nelson jubilantly expressed, “I’m overwhelmed. This is an extraordinary day. It’s historic because we are now going back into space; deep space with a new generation.”

The space agency needed a successful splashdown to stay on track for the next Orion flight around the moon, targeted for 2024 with four astronauts who will be revealed early next year.

That would be followed by a two-person lunar landing as early as 2025 and, ultimately, a sustainable moon base. The long-term plan would be to launch a Mars expedition by the late 2030s.

Astronauts last landed on the moon 50 years ago. After touching down on December 11, 1972, Apollo 17′s Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent three days exploring the valley of Taurus-Littrow, the longest stay of the Apollo era. They were the last of the 12 moonwalkers.

Orion was the first capsule to visit the moon since then, launching on NASA’s new mega moon rocket from Kennedy Space Center on November, 16, 2022.

It was the first flight of NASA’s new Artemis moon program, named after Apollo’s mythological twin sister.

“From Tranquility Base to Taurus-Littrow to the tranquil waters of the Pacific, the latest chapter of NASA’s journey to the moon comes to a close. Orion back on Earth.”
Mission Control commentator, Rob Navias.

Even though no one was on the $4 billion test flight, NASA managers were thrilled that it was successful, especially after so many years of flight delays and busted budgets.

Fuel leaks and hurricanes caused additional postponements in late summer and fall.

NASA Holds Party To Celebrate Splashdown

NASA held a splashdown party at Houston’s Johnson Space Center on Sunday, December 11, 2022 with employees and their families gathering to watch the broadcast of Orion’s homecoming.

Next door, the visitor center threw a bash for the public.

Getting Orion back intact after the 25-day flight was NASA’s top objective. With a return speed of 25,000 mph (40,000 kph) which is considerably faster than coming in from low-Earth orbit, the capsule used a new, advanced heat shield never tested before in spaceflight.

To reduce the gravity or G loads, it dipped into the atmosphere and briefly skipped out, also helping to pinpoint the splashdown area.

“I don’t think any one of us could have imagined a mission this successful,” Mission Manager, Mike Sarafin noted.

Further inspections will be conducted once Orion is back at Kennedy by month’s end.

If the capsule checks find nothing amiss, NASA will announce the first lunar crew in early 2023, picking from the 42 active U.S. astronauts stationed at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.

The capsule splashed down more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) south of the original target zone. Forecasts predicting choppy seas and high wind off the Southern California coast prompted NASA to switch the location.