[jebartle]

Thanks bk....I did not realize Pacific was calmer...

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

This doesn't answer your questions directly, but is educational and may help your curiosity. It explains the temperature of the capsule when it enters the earth's atmosphere and how precise the entry must be.

An airbag type system was being tested for Orion but the weight of the system caused NASA to go back to the water splashdown. I'm trying to find an article about this.

Weather and hurricane season in the Atlantic determines the location of the splashdown. The Pacific Ocean is calmer too.



NASA to Take Images of Orion Flight Test Splashdown | NASA

Orion Testing Provides Lessons And Data For Splashdown Recovery Operations | NASA