Orion Spacecraft Built by Lockheed Martin Completes Successful Return to Earth
NASA’s Orion spacecraft—built by Lockheed Martin—has officially landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, marking the successful completion of the record-breaking Artemis II mission.
The splashdown landing followed a 10-day journey around the moon, encompassing 694,481 miles of travel, and the crew entered Earth’s atmosphere at 24,00 mph then safely landed in the Pacific Ocean.
During re-entry, Orion’s heat shield withstood temperatures of approximately 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The spacecraft’s parachute system then safely landed by executing a precise descent sequence.
Recovery teams extracted the crew via helicopter after the splashdown landing, taking them to the USS John P. Murtha recover ship.
The astronauts now plan to undergo post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and flying to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
This mission took humans the farthest from Earth that any have traveled before—252,756 miles—showcasing how the Orion spacecraft can function outside of low-Earth orbit.
The Artemis II mission involved several initiatives, such as taking science imagery and observations of the far side lunar surface. The astronauts also performed critical system evaluations like:
- Life support
- Navigation
- Communications
- Propulsion operations
- Manual piloting
Many of Orion’s features were tested, such as:
- Environmental control
- Life support systems
- Advanced avionics
- Crew interfaces
Data collected while aboard the Artemis II mission will inform upcoming Artemis missions:
- Artemis III: Demonstrating critical docking with NASA's Human Landing System
- Artemis IV: Landing astronauts on the Moon for the first time since Apollo
President of Lockheed Martin Space Robert Lightfoot said, "As Orion brings its crew safely home from humanity's first crewed mission to deep space in more than five decades, we've proven what's possible through relentless innovation, discipline and partnership."
Lightfoot continued, "I am incredibly proud of our Lockheed Martin team.
“This mission validates Orion's performance in the most demanding environment and confirms we are ready to take bold next steps—returning astronauts to the lunar surface,” added Lightfoot.
As the primary contractor for the Orion spacecraft, Lockheed Martin has overseen all stages, including:
- Design
- Development
- Production
Future goals of this collaboration with NASA include achieving sustainable lunar exploration and human exploration on Mars.