NASA’s timeline for Orion’s Earth reentry predicts the process will start at 7:53 p.m. ET. Just 24 seconds into this phase, the spacecraft will be about 1,950 miles from its splashdown site when its 16.5-foot heat shield begins to experience intense heating. This will generate electrically charged plasma that envelops Orion, temporarily cutting off communications.

After a minute and 22 seconds of descent, the heat shield’s temperature will soar to approximately 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about half the surface temperature of the sun. This intense heat is a crucial part of the reentry process.

The communications blackout is anticipated to last for around six minutes. Once restored, Orion will be traveling at roughly 9,000 mph, with less than 200 miles remaining to splashdown. Eight minutes after entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft will descend through an altitude of about 100,000 feet, and shortly after, it will slow to subsonic speeds.

As Orion reaches an altitude of around 50,000 feet while traveling at approximately 300 mph, a sequence of 11 parachutes will deploy to decelerate and stabilize the capsule. At about 6,000 feet, three pilot chutes will release the primary parachutes, which span 116 feet each, ensuring a controlled descent.

This sequence of events will culminate in a gentle splashdown at a speed of roughly 17 mph in the Pacific Ocean, marking the successful conclusion of Orion’s mission.

That will slow the craft to a relatively gentle 17 mph splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.