Grey cone-shaped spacecraft on the surface of the water, with three orange balloons at its top. There are three grey motor boats on its way to the spacecraft, with white foam in their wake.

Orion’s Successful Splashdown Paves the Way for Artemis’ Future

On Sunday, Dec. 11, the Orion spacecraft made its fiery descent through our atmosphere and returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Orion’s successful return marks a major milestone and achieves a core objective for the Artemis I mission: a flight test of the Orion heat shield.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Download

Suggested Searches

Featured

How NASA’s Roman Mission Will Hunt for Primordial Black Holes

International SWOT Mission Can Improve Flood Prediction

New NASA Black Hole Visualization Takes Viewers Beyond the Brink

Missions

Humans in Space

Earth & Climate

The Solar System

The Universe

Science

Aeronautics

Technology

Learning Resources

About NASA

Español

News & Events

Multimedia

Highlights

NASA’s Webb Hints at Possible Atmosphere Surrounding Rocky Exoplanet

NASA, JAXA XRISM Spots Iron Fingerprints in Nearby Active Galaxy

NASA’s TESS Returns to Science Operations

Highlights

NASA Mission Strengthens 40-Year Friendship

NASA Selects Commercial Service Studies to Enable Mars Robotic Science

NASA’s Commercial Partners Deliver Cargo, Crew for Station Science

Highlights

International SWOT Mission Can Improve Flood Prediction

NASA Is Helping Protect Tigers, Jaguars, and Elephants. Here’s How.

Two Small NASA Satellites Will Measure Soil Moisture, Volcanic Gases

Highlights

C.26 Rapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample Return Correction and Other Documents Posted

NASA Selects Students for Europa Clipper Intern Program

Orbits and Kepler’s Laws

Featured

NASA’s Webb Hints at Possible Atmosphere Surrounding Rocky Exoplanet

NASA, JAXA XRISM Spots Iron Fingerprints in Nearby Active Galaxy

NASA’s TESS Returns to Science Operations

Highlights

NASA’s Webb Hints at Possible Atmosphere Surrounding Rocky Exoplanet

NASA, JAXA XRISM Spots Iron Fingerprints in Nearby Active Galaxy

NASA’s TESS Returns to Science Operations

Highlights

NASA Licenses 3D-Printable Superalloy to Benefit US Economy

ARMD Solicitations

NASA’s Commitment to Safety Starts with its Culture

Highlights

Tech Today: NASA’s Ion Thruster Knowhow Keeps Satellites Flying

NASA Selects Commercial Service Studies to Enable Mars Robotic Science

Big Science Drives Wallops’ Upgrades for NASA Suborbital Missions

Featured

NASA Challenge Gives Artemis Generation Coders a Chance to Shine

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars

NASA Selects Students for Europa Clipper Intern Program

Highlights

Ken Carpenter: Ensuring Top-Tier Science from Moon to Stars

White Sands Propulsion Team Tests 3D-Printed Orion Engine Component

A Different Perspective – Remembering James Dean, Founder of the NASA Art Program

Highlights

Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas

Astronauta de la NASA Marcos Berríos

Resultados científicos revolucionarios en la estación espacial de 2023

Orion’s Successful Splashdown Paves the Way for Artemis’ Future

Tags