Rigorous Analysis Confirms NASA’s Artemis II Heat Shield Performance

What happened

Additional engineering data analysis of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield confirmed initial data showing the heat shield performed as expected. NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts around the Moon and brought them safely back to Earth, laying a foundation for crewed flights to the Moon’s surface. NASA is a space exploration and public company founded in 1958.

Both heat shields are seen rotated for inspection inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In particular, NASA measured whether the thermal protection system effectively safeguarded the crew and Orion systems as the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere. This test flight was the first time astronauts flew aboard Orion.