The Orion capsule from the Artemis II mission successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 3:00 AM Bulgarian time. The spacecraft passed through the Earth's atmosphere like a meteor, with the heat shield withstanding a temperature of 2700 degrees. The splashdown was preceded by the slowing of the capsule by parachutes.
The expedition lasted 10 days, during which the four astronauts reached 406 thousand kilometers from Earth – the farthest point reached by a manned spacecraft in history.
“We did it. For the first time in more than 50 years, we sent four people to the Moon and brought them back safely to Earth,” said Lori Glaze, head of the Artemis programs.
Amit Kshatriya, NASA's deputy administrator, added: “The path to the lunar surface is open. 53 years ago, humanity left the Moon. But this time we returned to stay.”