Artemis II Heat Shield Passes Reentry Test, Boosting Moon Mission Confidence

NASA says Artemis II’s heat shield performed as expected during splashdown, with Navy divers’ photos showing far less char than Artemis I. Initial inspections found no unusual conditions and the capsule will undergo further testing at Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, including sample extraction and x‑ray scans, as NASA refines plans for Artemis III and beyond. The spacecraft reentered at about 35 times the speed of sound, a key milestone for future lunar missions.