Overview
- The Orion capsule landed in the Pacific on Friday near San Diego and Navy teams on the USS John P. Murtha recovered the four astronauts in good condition.
- During reentry the ship hit about 40,000 km/h, endured roughly 2,700–2,760 °C, lost signal for about six minutes, and then slowed under a cascade of parachutes.
- NASA used a shorter, more direct entry profile than 2022’s uncrewed test to ease heat‑shield stress, and engineers are now inspecting the shield at sea and in labs.
- The flight logged several glitches, including valve faults in potable‑water and propulsion systems, a pressure‑control leak now under review, and a toilet that failed for urine.
- The 10‑day mission set a human‑distance record of about 406,700 km and produced data to plan Artemis III, which aims to advance toward a crewed lunar landing.