NASA says new analysis confirms Orion’s Artemis II heat shield performed as expected, after four astronauts returned safely from a Moon flyby. The findings will help refine the spacecraft for Artemis III and later missions.
01Summary
- 01Artemis II sent four astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth, and it was the first time astronauts flew aboard Orion.
- 02Orion reached 39 times the speed of sound and saw external temperatures above 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit while the cabin stayed in the mid-70s Fahrenheit.
- 03NASA says the shorter re-entry path cut cracking and char loss on the Artemis II heat shield by a factor of ten, with nine char-loss spots compared with 103 on Artemis I.
- 04The spacecraft came within 192 feet of its target entry point and splashed down 0.59 miles from the predicted site off San Diego.
- 05Engineers are still examining the heat shield, made of 186 Avcoat blocks, to support Artemis III and future missions.
02Why it matters
The findings give NASA more confidence that Orion can protect astronauts during the extreme heat of re-entry. That matters because the results feed directly into Artemis III and future Moon missions.
Pulse AIAsk about this story
Answers are generated by AI from the story summary; they are not investment, health or legal advice.
