A whale of a space capsule splash!
2,083 views · Published 6 January 2012 · 3:06 · Indexed 21 September 2026
Channel: NASA Langley Research Center · 2012 · Science & Technology
After two days of test preps, the 18,000 pound Orion spacecraft test article was hauled 95 feet in the air - then dropped into a pool of water called the Hydro Impact Basin at NASA Langley's historic gantry. That's where Neil Armstrong learned to land on the Moon. The capsule landed as expected given the speed - 47 mph - and angle - 43 degrees. The real Orion will be equipped with a system to turn it right side up, just like the earlier Apollo capsules had.
