Artemis 2 heat shield passes return-to-Earth heat test

Artemis 2’s heat shield, Integrity, withstood Earth’s atmospheric reentry with minimal damage, according to mission commander Reid Wiseman who called the view of the shield’s bottom “wonderful” after a smooth splashdown. NASA kept Artemis 1’s heat-shield design but adjusted the reentry trajectory to reduce heat exposure, and early checks suggest a successful test as the program moves toward future missions that will use different heat-shield designs and include orbital docking tests and later lunar returns.