NASA Artemis II heat shield
Definition
The ablative thermal protection system installed on the base of the Orion crew module for NASA's Artemis II mission, composed of Avcoat material blocks designed to withstand re-entry temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius).
A 16.5-foot (5-meter) diameter heat shield that protects astronauts during hypersonic atmospheric re-entry, which underwent installation in June 2023 and demonstrated excellent performance during the Artemis II flight test.
Critical hardware component addressing concerns from the uncrewed Artemis I mission, where charring and erosion were observed, but confirmed robust for crewed Artemis II operations through extensive testing and post-flight analysis.
Examples
Engineers at NASA finally breathed easy when the Artemis II heat shield emerged unscathed, proving it's tougher than a politician's promise.
The NASA Artemis II heat shield turned re-entry into a mere warm hug for the Orion capsule, rather than the expected inferno barbecue.
Forget capes; the Artemis II heat shield is the unsung hero that kept the crew from becoming shooting stars.
After Artemis I's scorch marks, the upgraded NASA Artemis II heat shield showed up like a boss, shrugging off 5,000-degree plasma like bad weather.