Recovery team members in a Zodiac boat help guide NASA's Orion spacecraft into the well deck of the USS Anchorage.
(Dec. 5, 2014) — Recovery team members in a Zodiac boat help guide NASA’s Orion spacecraft into the well deck of the USS Anchorage following its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Orion launched into space on a two-orbit, 4.5-test flight at 7:05 am EST on Dec. 5, and returned safely to Earth, where a combined team from NASA, the Navy and Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin retrieved it for return to shore. It’s now being transported back to shore on board the Anchorage. It is expected to be off loaded at Naval Base San Diego on Monday. Photo credit: U.S. Navy