Just before 11:30 a.m. EST, Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, completing what one NASA official called “the most perfect flight you could ever imagine.” Amber Philman, of NASA Communications, called the journey “picture perfect.”

During this morning’s test flight, Orion did just what it was intended to do, according to NASA, orbiting the Earth twice, passing through the Van Allen radiation belt twice (with no ill-effects to the systems or computers aboard), separating from the rocket and splashing down in Pacific waters. NASA kept Orion powered up for about an hour after splashdown.

One of the big tests today was regarding Orion’s heat shield during reentry. A NASA post from 11:25 a.m. EST says it all: “Orion made it!” Three parachutes then opened — covering an area the size of a football field — allowing the spacecraft to gently glide onto the ocean surface. It landed upright in a splashdown zone with both waves and weather “cooperating,” noted an official on NASA TV.

The U.S. Navy was on hand to help recover Orion where it landed, 630 miles southwest of San Diego, and bring the machine back to the USS Anchorage.

At its peak, at 10:11 a.m. EST, Orion and the Delta rocket reached 3,604 miles. Seventeen minutes later, at 10:28 a.m., the two separated, and Orion started its descent back to Earth. According to NASA, Orion reached Earth’s atmosphere traveling at 20,000 mph, then took a 10-minute ride, slowing down to 20 mph before hitting the water.

“The spacecraft’s systems,” notes a NASA post, “performed perfectly.”

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Awe-Inspiring Photos from Space

The ESO 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla observatory in Chile, during observations. (ESO/S. Brunier)