NASA's Orion capsule successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off California after an equally successful liftoff from Florida Friday morning. The Orion spacecraft is slated to become the first U.S. spacecraft to travel into deep space and eventually to Mars.

Orion capsule program manager Mark Geyer was pleased by the success, saying it's hard to have a better day than today after landing.

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The initial launch date Thursday was moved to Friday due to gusty winds and some last minute technical difficulties as the launch window expired.

The Orion Exploration Test Flight-1 involved the Orion capsule mounted on a Delta IV Heavy rocket, the biggest rocket ever made by NASA. The rocket blasted-off from the seaside spaceport of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

After reaching 3,604 miles into space, Orion plummeted back into the planet's atmosphere at the extreme speed of 32,000 kilometers per hour. 

Orion survived its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere as it heated up to a scorching 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, comparable to the heat of molten lava. It also withstood gravitational forces eight times stronger than Earth's.

As it descended, Orion deployed 11 parachutes, including three giant main chutes that slowed down the capsule's velocity to 20 miles per hour for a splashdown some 630 miles from San Diego, California on Friday 11:29 a.m. EST.

Data from Orion's first space flight will now be consolidated by the mission team. Critical data to be studied include how Orion handled radiation surges as it passed through the Earth's protective magnetic field.

The Orion mission cost about US $375 million. Its primary goal was to test Orion's 16.5 diameter heat shield, parachute systems and avionics that will be pivotal to the development and design of the capsule when astronauts travel to Mars in the 2030s.

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