NASA's Orion capsule blazes home from test flight to moon

12.11.22 - CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) _ NASA’s Orion capsule made a blisteringly fast return from the moon Sunday, parachuting into the Pacific off Mexico to conclude a test flight that should clear the way for astronauts on the next lunar flyby.

The incoming capsule hit the atmosphere at Mach 32, or 32 times the speed of sound, and endured reentry temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) before splashing down west of Mexico’s Baja California near Guadalupe Island. A Navy ship quickly moved in to recover the spacecraft and its silent occupants _ three test dummies rigged with vibration sensors and radiation monitors.For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper’s online edition.