Setup of the heat shield for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft was recently finished at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Cory Huston
Up next, the spacecraft will be equipped with some of its external panels ahead of acoustic screening later this summertime. These tests will confirm the team module can stand up to the vibrations it will experience throughout the Artemis II mission, during landing, flight, and launch.
As soon as acoustic screening is complete, professionals will connect the team module to Orions service module, marking a major milestone for the Artemis II mission, the first objective with astronauts under Artemis that will evaluate and inspect out all of Orions systems required for future crewed missions.
Illustration of NASAs Orion spacecraft re-entering Earths environment. Orion requires a heat shield to secure it from the exceptionally heats the spacecraft will fulfill on its way home. Credit: NASA
On June 25, 2023, the heat shield was successfully set up on the Artemis II Orion spacecraft at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This important part, measuring 16.5 feet in width, ensures the security of the onboard astronauts upon reentry by protecting the spacecraft from severe external temperatures of as much as 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
On June 25, 2023, teams finished the setup of the heat guard for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The 16.5-foot-wide heat guard is one of the most crucial systems on the Orion spacecraft guaranteeing a safe return of the astronauts on board. As the spacecraft go back to Earth following its mission around the Moon, it will be taking a trip at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour and experience outside temperatures of almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). Inside the spacecraft, nevertheless, astronauts will experience a far more comfy temperature level in the mid-70s thanks to Orions thermal protection system.