After a virtually flawless test flight that took NASA’s Orion capsule deeper into space than any other such vehicle in more than four decades, the unmanned spacecraft made a safe return with a historic pinpoint splashdown on Friday in the Pacific Ocean.

Capping two orbits of the earth that highlighted reliability of the capsule’s propulsion and flight-control systems, Orion landed right on target at about 11:30 a.m. EST, some 630 miles southwest of San Diego, according to NASA. Video images showed it bobbing gently in the ocean, in an upright position as it awaited arrival of a small armada of recovery vessels.

The return capped a day of many firsts, starting with a picture-perfect launch at sunrise precisely on time, then the capsule separating from its booster rocket, positioning itself for re-entry while traveling about 20,000 miles an hour and performing as intended to barrel through the atmosphere for a gentle touchdown.

Friday’s inaugural mission by Orion, which has been slated as America’s premier human-exploration vehicle for future decades, provides a much-needed boost for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at a time of heightened budget pressures and persistent congressional skepticism. Onboard cameras broadcast dramatic video of parts of the rocket framed by images of a blue, cloud-covered Earth.

The flight renewed public interest, at least temporarily, in the type of long-term goals for which NASA has struggled to generate excitement of late—from visiting asteroids to exploring Mars.