"'During the final phase of the Artemis II mission, there's no backup, no contingency, and no chance of escape,' said Dr Ed Macaulay, emphasizing the risks faced by the astronauts."
"'The four astronauts on board will be depending on a few inches of resin-coated silica to shield themselves from temperatures approaching half that of the surface of the Sun.'"
"'NASA officials have warned there is effectively 'no plan B' if the heat shield fails during re-entry, which is widely considered the most perilous phase of the journey.'"
NASA's Artemis II mission reaches a critical point as the Orion module approaches Earth after a 685,000-mile journey. At 12:33am BST, the service module will detach, leading to a hypersonic re-entry at 24,000mph. The astronauts will rely on a three-inch heat shield to withstand temperatures nearing 2,760°C. Communication will be cut off due to superheated plasma, and NASA officials emphasize there is no contingency plan if the heat shield fails during this dangerous phase.
Read at Mail Online
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