Overview
- The Orion capsule carrying four astronauts splashed down off California on April 10, closing a 10-day lunar mission that NASA declared a complete success.
- Flying a loop past the Moon’s far side, the crew reached about 406,771 kilometers from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance mark and covering roughly 1.13 million kilometers in total.
- During reentry the spacecraft reached about 24,000 mph and its heat shield was estimated to hit roughly 2,760°C before parachutes slowed it for recovery, with the crew later walking on deck in good shape.
- NASA says it will step up work toward a docking test between Orion and a lunar lander in 2027 and is targeting two crewed Moon landings in 2028.
- Reporters note the SpaceX lander needed for surface missions is not yet complete, raising schedule risk and partner concern, as analysis places the push within sharper U.S.–China competition over lunar presence.