NASA Analysis Confirms Artemis II Heat Shield Performance: 9 Char-Loss Spots Versus 103 on Artemis I
WASHINGTON — NASA has released a rigorous post-flight analysis confirming that the Artemis II heat shield performed as predicted, protecting four astronauts during reentry after the first crewed Orion flight around the Moon. Artemis II splashed down on April 10, 2026, carrying Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
After months of inspection, engineers found nine char-loss spots on the Artemis II heat shield, down sharply from 103 on the uncrewed Artemis I flight in 2022, after a shorter reentry trajectory cut cracking roughly tenfold. The Orion heat shield, at 16.5 feet (5 meters) in diameter the largest of its kind flown on a crewed mission, withstood temperatures above 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Unexpected char loss on Artemis I had been the top safety question hanging over the first crewed flight.
NASA said the verified performance lays a foundation for crewed flights to the lunar surface, and that the data will inform thermal protection and reentry planning for later Artemis missions.
Source: NASA post-flight analysis, reported via Phys.org
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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