Splashdown! ⁣ ⁣ #OTD 55 years ago, Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, returning the crew safely to the Earth after setting foot on the Moon. To celebrate this anniversary, take a look at Exploration Ground Systems’ recovery operations then and now.⁣ ⁣ NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission splashed down at 12:40 p.m. EST Dec. 11, 2022, off the coast of Baja California in the Pacific Ocean. The spacecraft was recovered by the agency’s Landing and Recovery team, the U.S. Navy, and Department of Defense partners aboard the USS Portland. ⁣ ⁣ At precisely 195 hours and 18 minutes after lifting off from Florida, the Apollo 11 mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, successfully completing the first human Moon landing mission. The capsule was recovered by the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. The swimmers and sailors aboard Hornet hauled the Columbia spacecraft out of the water and towed it below to the hangar deck. Once Columbia was aboard, Hornet set sail for Pearl Harb...