Splashdown For NASA's Orion Rocket Complete

The Orion rocket successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, following a liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center early Friday morning.

“Splashdown! #Orion completes a critical step on our #JourneytoMars,” NASA tweeted at 11:30 a.m. as the rocket approached Pacific waters.

Orion was tasked with orbiting the earth twice, reaching a peak altitude of 3,600 miles, before splashing safely down into the Pacific.

The rocket is being tested to eventually carry astronauts on exploratory missions into deep space, the agency’s website said. Hopes for the rocket design include exploration of an asteroid and a possible trip to Mars.

During its short Friday mission, Orion made history, NASA pointed out. The ship “traveled 60,000 miles plus farther into space than any ship for humans has gone in 40 plus years.”

The launch and splashdown were critical parts of testing the craft’s design in regard to viability for manned deep space missions, the agency has said.

“At the hottest period of its return through Earth’s atmosphere, Orion’s heat shield experienced temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The rocket, NASA reports, held up well. The Navy is currently helping NASA retrieve Orion.

This photo from NASA shows the view of the Earth from Orion as it orbited 3,600 miles above the planet’s surface.

See Also:

• Watch: Orion Lifts Off into Space
• Orion Launch Reset for Friday
• Final Launch, Space Shuttle History