Investigation into Orion Capsule’s Heat Shield Post Artemis 1 Mission

NASA is currently conducting an investigation into the Orion capsule’s heat shield following the Artemis 1 mission’s reentry on December 11, 2022. The heat shield, which is essential for shielding astronauts from extreme temperatures during lunar missions, experienced unexpected chipping of its ablative thermal protective material. This heat shield is the largest ever constructed and utilizes Avcoat, an ablative material that was also employed in the Apollo missions. NASA’s primary goal is to thoroughly understand why the material chipped off in order to guarantee the safety of future missions, such as the forthcoming Artemis 2 mission.