NASA, which has been addressing a heat-shield problem that became evident during Artemis I, will now prepare for its mission.
The heat shield on the Orion space capsule performed as expected during April’s Artemis II mission after NASA tweaked its reentry path to prevent overheating that occurred during the prior Artemis I spaceflight.
The agency on 15 October said it has completed analyses confirming Orion’s shield performed as expected, giving the agency confidence in the design ahead of the Artemis III mission, planned for 2027.
“A thorough post-flight assessment review found that Orion’s aerodynamic and aero-thermal performance, including the heat shield and back-shell thermal protection system, was in-line with engineering predictions based on pre-flight analyses and ground testing,” says NASA.
The Artemis II reentry on 10 April caused nine “spots of char loss” on the Orion capsule, down from 103 spots following the Artemis I reentry. Char loss involves charred heat-shield material breaking off.
“Orion’s performance and the team’s analysis on Artemis II reflect system robustness, capability to support crew and critical insights gathered that will enhance the Artemis III mission and beyond,” NASA adds.
Artemis II was a crewed mission around the moon. Artemis III will also be crewed but will remain in low-earth orbit. Mission objectives include evaluating systems required for a planned crewed lunar landing during Artemis IV, planned for 2028.
NASA has been working to address heat shield concerns that arose when the uncrewed Orion returned to Earth in December 2022 during Artemis I.
The capsule completed a “skip-guided entry” – first it “dipped into” the upper atmosphere, then “skipped back out” before dipping again for the final reentry. The method allowed the capsule to travel farther after its initial reentry.
But “between dips… thermal energy accumulated inside” the heat shield’s outer material, consisting of 186 blocks of “Avcoat”.
“Internal pressure built up and led to cracking and uneven shedding of the outer layer,” NASA found.
It sought to prevent that problem for Artemis II by adjusting the capsule’s reentry. NASA shortened the distance Orion travelled between entering the atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, minimising the time it was subject to extreme temperatures.
NASA now says its analyses of the Artemis II heat shield – completed at its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama – determined that the solution was effective.
The agency is also making changes to the capsule’s heat shield for next year’s planned Artemis III mission. Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center attached the heat shield to the capsule in July, NASA says.
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