The Orion Flight And Splashdown: What Are People Saying About It?

After a series of failed launch attempts on Thursday, NASA’s Orion spacecraft was successfully launched on Friday, December 5, and returned safe to Earth after a 1 hour, 24-minute test flight and a “trial by fire” as it reentered the atmosphere, at temperatures close to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The launch occurred at 7:05 AM ET. The spacecraft reached low Earth orbit at 7:30AM, an apogee of 3,600 miles from the Earth. The “Splashdown” took place at 11:29 AM in the Pacific Ocean, about 275 miles (443 kilometers) West of Baja California.

But, why is Orion so important? Well, NASA plans to use it to take astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid in the 2020s, and to Mars and its moons in the 2030s; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden described the event as “the beginning of the Mars era.”

So, what are people saying?

Today is a great day 4 space exploration, but above all an AMAZING day for #Orion! Tune in at 1:30p ET 4 more details pic.twitter.com/UyvJFRZ6rs

— NASA Kennedy / KSC (@NASAKennedy) December 5, 2014

"It's time to go fly." @NASA's #OrionLaunch marks our first step on the #JourneyToMars: http://t.co/13LSCOAhJs pic.twitter.com/Kyv8DDROmH

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 5, 2014

Missed the launch of #Orion? Want to see it again? Watch it here: http://t.co/3xMUAPHI64 [video] pic.twitter.com/bepPuOQC3s

— NASA (@NASA) December 5, 2014

#Orion's test was about 4.5 hrs but what we learn could change history forever: http://t.co/BLzd5q3vu4 #JourneyToMars pic.twitter.com/habPXZ57Pn

— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) December 5, 2014

Camera on #Orion captured views out the window during the heat of re-entry as the capsule plummeted toward Earth. pic.twitter.com/WwEympR9C0

— NASA Kennedy / KSC (@NASAKennedy) December 5, 2014

#Orion traveled 60,000 miles + farther into space than any ship for humans has gone in 40+ yrs!

— NASA (@NASA) December 5, 2014

Here’s what people said about the issue:

One small splash for man. One giant cannonball for mankind. #Orion

— Ivan the K™ (@IvanTheK) December 5, 2014

Lockheed Martin stock is up 27% this year -- more than double the S&P. $LMT @CNBC #Orion

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) December 5, 2014

Another view of Orion's parachutes deployed #OrionLaunch #Orion pic.twitter.com/q4WpEovUKv

— Observing Space (@ObservingSpace) December 5, 2014

SPLASHDOWN CONFIRMED! NASA TV Announcer: "America has driven a golden spike as it crosses a bridge into the future." #Orion #OrionLaunch

— Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) December 5, 2014