Overview
- The Orion capsule Integrity splashed down Friday off San Diego, and NASA said the four astronauts were in great condition after the picture‑perfect landing.
- U.S. Navy teams on the USS John P. Murtha secured the capsule and flew the crew aboard for medical checks, with post‑flight inspections and data reviews now underway.
- Because a 2022 test showed Orion’s heat shield shed charred material on reentry, NASA used a steeper, shorter descent to limit peak heating, and a brief plasma blackout cut radio contact as expected.
- The crew documented the Moon’s far side, captured striking “Earthset” photos and watched a total solar eclipse, returning imagery and observations to guide future mission planning.
- The flight set a human‑distance record of about 252,756 miles from Earth and marked firsts for Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen as the first woman, first person of color and first Canadian to fly a lunar‑vicinity mission.