Press Releases

Today, NASA’s Orion spacecraft successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Mexico. This marks the culmination of the Artemis I mission. After Orion is recovered, NASA will continue to evaluate and inspect the spacecraft as they prepare for future missions.

“Congratulations to NASA and its partners on this magnificent feat,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “From launch to splashdown and its ongoing recovery, the successful Artemis I mission marks a new era in space exploration. We are now one step closer to returning American astronauts to the Moon. This mission and the ones that will follow will continue to inspire, just as Apollo did over half a century ago. I would like to thank the thousands of people who made this mission possible for their many hours of hard work and dedication to the mission and its success. This was an important achievement in human space exploration, and I am confident there will be many more to follow.”

“Today’s successful completion of the Artemis I mission and return of the Orion capsule from its journey to the Moon is a thrilling culmination of years of effort by NASA, its contractors, and international partners over multiple Administrations and Congresses,” said Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA).“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to NASA and the Nation on achieving this historic milestone. Since its launch from Cape Canaveral last month, the world has watched in awe as the Orion capsule traveled around the far side of the moon, sending back stunning photos of the Moon and our entire Earth. Artemis I reignited our passion to explore. It also demonstrated the capability of the systems needed to do so--the Space Launch System and Orion capsule and heatshield--and collected essential data to ensure their readiness to safely carry crew, starting with Artemis II.I want to thank and celebrate the tens of thousands of employees at NASA, its industry contractors and suppliers, and the European Space Agency who helped make this mission possible.Their invaluable contributions move us a major step forward toward returning our astronauts to the Moon and on to Mars.”

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