Splashdown

Video: Historic moon mission ends with splashdownHistoric moon mission ends with splashdownWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismissSkip to sections navigationSkip to contentSkip to footerNASA has called it's Orion space mission as the 'beginning on a new era'... as the spacecraft made a successful splashdown in the Pacific ocean.December 12, 2022 — 8.51am Video: Historic moon mission ends with splashdownHistoric moon mission ends with…

After 25 days in space, is about to conclude its uncrewed test run to the Moon. The mission will draw to a close when the spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean close to Guadalupe Island, which is 130 nautical miles off the coast of Baja California. Orion is scheduled to hit the water at around 12:40PM ET. NASA's livestream will start at 11AM and continue after splashdown as a recovery team picks up the capsule. You'll be able to watch the stream below. NASA the landing trajectory and splashdown site so as not…

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is on its way home from its orbit of the moon and is due to splash down in the Pacific Ocean tomorrow, Sunday, December 11. Teams on the ground are performing last-minute checks of all the required systems for tomorrow’s splash down, and the Orion craft has performed a series of final tests of its thrusters. To control its re-entry into the atmosphere, Orion will use a set of engines called its crew module reaction control thruster system. These small thrusters control the direction and…

NASA’s Artemis moon mission is set to conclude this weekend when the agency attempts to return part of the Orion spacecraft to Earth, a maneuver that will expose the vehicle to intense heat after a nearly monthlong journey.The crew module on the agency’s Orion spacecraft is expected to land under parachutes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California in Mexico around 12:40 p.m. ET on Sunday, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Since blasting Orion off last month, the Artemis I flight…

Orion gazes back at the Moon, on December 7, 2022.Photo: NASAAll good things come to an end, including NASA’s wildly successful Artemis 1 mission to the Moon and back. At least, it’s been successful so far, as Orion must still perform a harrowing reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. You can follow the action live right here.NASA’s coverage of this event is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (all times Eastern), with the live broadcast available on NASA TV, YouTube and at the live stream below. The coverage will…

The Artemis 1 recovery team during a practice exercise on December 2, 2022. Photo: NASAShould all go as planned, NASA’s Orion spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Baja, California, on Sunday, December 11 at 12:40 p.m. ET. As the uncrewed capsule bobs up and down in the open ocean, a crack team will spring into action and attempt to pull off a carefully choreographed recovery operation. Here’s how we expect it to unfold.The sight of Orion floating in the Pacific Ocean will most assuredly be a welcome sight this…

NASA tested Orion’s crew module uprighting system off the Coast of North Carolina in March 2018. Credit: NASAOn flight day 23 of <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is…

After orbiting around the moon, NASA's Orion spacecraft will land in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, putting the Artemis I mission on track for success. It's too early to declare Artemis I a complete success -- two of the mission's top priorities come with splashdown -- but the mission has already helped NASA prepare for its ultimate goal of returning humans to the moon and eventually sending people to Mars. "The mission continues to proceed well and along the planned mission profile," Artemis mission manager Mike Sarafin…

NASA's Artemis 1 mission is on track for its December 11 splashdown after the uncrewed Orion spacecraft completed a second powered flyby of the Moon today that brought it within 79 miles (127 km) of the lunar surface at 11:42 am EST.Shortly after Orion's close encounter with the Moon, the spacecraft's thrusters fired at 11:43 am EST for three minutes and 27 seconds, altering its velocity by about 655 mph (1,054 km/h) and setting it on a trajectory for Earth. The burn was conducted autonomously because Orion was behind the…

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship carrying four astronauts splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls<span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for…