Artemis I Splashdown — Mission Complete (25.5 Days, 1.4M Miles)

Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California at 9:40 AM PST — exactly 50 years to the day after Apollo 17's Moon landing. The mission covered 2.3 million kilometers (1.4 million miles) over 25.5 days. Post-recovery inspections later revealed unexpected charring on the Avcoat heat shield, triggering a major investigation that would delay Artemis II by over a year.