[kosciusko51]

Why didn't the Apollo space capsules send off clouds of steam when they landed in the ocean? They had to have been hot, like in the picture of the Shuttle above, right?

Nope, Apollo had an ablation thermal protection system, which caused a phase change of the material, and emitted hot gases, keeping the remaining material relatively cool compared to Shuttle tiles.

Also, the Apollo was on parachutes for the last 40,000 ft, which allowed the remaining material to cool even further.

[philman_36]

Give 145 a try.