The Orion spacecraft was able to perform the planned maneuver and successfully entered a distant retrograde orbit
What is known
Achieving the Lockheed Martin capsuleis that Orion was able to move away from the Earth at the greatest distance than any other spacecraft that can carry a crew. Yes, the ship flies around the satellite without people on board, but that's another story.
Having entered a retrograde orbit, which is locatedbeyond the Lagrange points, Orion moved 54,000 km away from the Moon. To achieve the goal, the capsule's engines operated for 1 minute 18 seconds. Orion became the first spacecraft in history to enter a stable orbit beyond the Lagrange points.
The capsule will not overcome the entire retrogradeorbit. Until December 1, Orion will be able to go only halfway, after which it will perform a gravity assist and begin moving towards Earth. To do this, the capsule must descend so that the moon's gravity pushes it towards our planet.
On December 11, Orion will splash down in the Pacific OceanCalifornian coast. But before that he will complete one more task. The spacecraft will enter Earth's atmosphere at tremendous speed, so the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is using an enhanced heat shield for the first time since the Apollo moon program.