All articles tagged with #heat shield
SpaceX’s Starship V3 Flight 12 from Pad 2 survived an engine-out ascent and reentry, deploying 22 payloads to test orbit-based heat-shield inspection that could speed up future flights, as NASA maintains Artemis IV targets and SpaceX moves toward a June 2026 IPO.
The Parker Solar Probe remains the fastest human-made object, zipping through the Sun’s corona at about 430,000 mph and protected by a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-foam heat shield; after seven Venus gravity assists it now sits in its closest solar orbit, operating autonomously and returning data on the corona and solar wind as NASA extends the mission beyond its original plan.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe travels about 430,000 mph as it skimms the Sun with a 4.5-inch carbon-foam thermal shield that keeps its instruments near room temperature, enabling unprecedented study of the corona, solar wind, and magnetic switchbacks during close solar passes.
SpaceX's Starship V3 Flight 12 will launch a suborbital test that deploys 22 Starlink‑style satellites (including two inspector craft to image the heat shield) to evaluate tile reliability and reentry readiness, while the Super Heavy booster returns to the Gulf of Mexico and Starship's upper stage splashes down in the Indian Ocean about an hour later.
SpaceX is targeting May 19 for the debut of Starship V3 (Flight 12), the first launch from Pad 2, featuring Raptor 3 engines, an integrated hot stage, enhanced heat-shield testing with Starlink satellites, and planned splashdowns for Booster 19 and Ship 39 as part of its propulsion and lunar-return testing program.
Space.com’s Space Photo of the Day shows NASA’s Artemis 2 Orion capsule charred at Kennedy Space Center after its 10‑day lunar mission, highlighting a reentry temperature near 5,000°F. The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—returned to Earth with a Pacific splashdown on April 10, and NASA will study the heat shield’s performance to inform Artemis 3.
NASA’s Artemis 2 heat shield was photographed underwater after the Orion capsule’s splashdown off San Diego on April 10, 2026. The scorched tiles endured reentry temperatures near 5,000°F (about 2,800°C), and divers captured images of the heat shield as the capsule is prepared for return to Kennedy Space Center for further study ahead of Artemis 3.
Navy divers underwater photos of Artemis 2’s splashdown offer a rare view of the Orion capsule’s heat shield in action; early analysis suggests the heat shield performed well and the ceramic tiles held up, with airborne imagery also aiding review. NASA says minimal char loss was observed and the data will inform checks ahead of Artemis 3 in 2028, as NASA faces broader program challenges highlighted by a Blue Origin setback with its New Glenn rocket.
US Navy divers captured an underwater image of Artemis II's heat shield after splashdown in the Pacific, showing significantly less damage than Artemis I and suggesting improved reentry performance; NASA will continue inspections to confirm durability for future crewed lunar missions.
NASA reports Artemis II's heat shield endured a blistering 24,664 mph reentry with only minimal char, no cracked tiles, and intact reflective tape, according to initial post-splashdown assessments; divers' photos confirm a precise splashdown and NASA says the heat shield performed as expected, addressing earlier concerns about using the Artemis I shield for Artemis II and keeping the program on track for future missions.
NASA’s Orion capsule has several problems to fix before Artemis III, including a helium leak in the oxygen pressurization system, a heat shield damaged in earlier tests that NASA intends to redesign, and hydrogen leaks plus plumbing glitches. The issue is complicated by the fact that the return module isn’t recovered for postflight inspection, so Orion may require a full redesign. Artemis III will be uncrewed, giving NASA time to address these flaws before more ambitious missions to the Moon or Mars.
Artemis II’s heat shield with its ablative coating held up under the mission’s blistering 24,664 mph reentry, showing minimal char and no cracked tiles in early NASA assessments. NASA’s lofted Apollo-style entry, designed after Artemis I’s shield issues, helped safeguard the crew, and underwater imagery plus a precise splashdown about 2.9 miles from the target mark progress for the Artemis program.
A photo released by NASA, taken by U.S. Navy divers after Artemis II’s splashdown, shows the charred heat shield of the Orion capsule. Early postflight inspections indicate it performed as designed with reduced char loss compared with Artemis I, and NASA will continue examining the heat shield and crew module while addressing issues such as the spacecraft’s toilet to inform future Artemis missions.
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.
Artemis II astronauts reported a smooth re-entry from the Moon with only light char loss on the Orion capsule’s heat shield shoulder; NASA said the shield performed as expected, adjusted the entry angle to reduce heat on future flights, and noted speeds during descent reached around Mach 32–39 before parachutes eased the capsule to a Pacific splashdown, with engineers set to review data ahead of Artemis III’s planned lunar landing.