Artemis II’s modified return reduced heat-shield material loss
NASA’s October 15 engineering assessment found less cracking and char loss on Orion’s Artemis II heat shield after a modified atmospheric entry. Engineers found char loss in 9 places on the newer shield, after 103 affected locations on Artemis I. Flight measurements and inspections after recovery supported the assessment, including sample extraction and internal X-ray scans begun in August.
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A shorter entry path addressed the earlier shield problem
NASA, the US space agency, released an engineering assessment on October 15 of the heat shield that protected four astronauts returning from the Moon aboard Orion on Artemis II. Material lost on Artemis I prompted a change in the flight path: NASA set a shorter maximum distance for Orion to travel after entering the atmosphere and before reaching the ocean. The aim was to pass more quickly through the temperatures at which the earlier shield had cracked and lost charred material.[1]
Nine char-loss locations followed the modified return
The number of locations where engineers found char loss fell from 103 after Artemis I to 9 after Artemis II. NASA put the combined reduction in cracks and lost charred material at roughly a factor of ten. The shield consists of 186 blocks of Avcoat, a material that protects the spacecraft by wearing away during entry. The assessment combined flight measurements with examination of the recovered hardware and found aerodynamic and heating behavior consistent with pre-flight predictions.[1]
Physical inspections continued after the April recovery
Divers photographed the shield underwater just after the April 10 splashdown. Inspections continued on the recovery ship and at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shield then moved to Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, where sample extraction and internal X-ray scans began in August. Engineers also examined material around block seams and separation bolts. NASA presented the additional analysis as confirmation of the initial post-recovery assessment for this flight.[1]
