Captured on December 5, somewhere on the infinite Pacific Ocean, this image shows the Orion crew module in the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage after US Navy divers recovered it following the first and flawless exploration flight test.
With the Orion crew module looking rather like an Apollo-era spacecraft but surrounded by the sci-fi lighting of the ship’s interior, the whole shot conjures history and future at once. It’s a stunning photograph. [Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gary Keen/U.S. Navy]