"NASA has responded, reassuring that there's no cause for concern. According to the space agency, the discolored patch is really nothing more than a smudge of burned material."
"'No unexpected conditions were observed. I suspect when the images are released, it will be pretty obvious the stark difference between Artemis I and Artemis II heat shield performance.'"
"The Orion crew capsule used for Artemis II has what is known as an 'ablative' heat shield made of a material called Avcoat, designed to burn and crumble away as it is exposed to the heat of re-entry."
"During Artemis I, this same heat shield material cracked far faster than NASA had expected, with large chunks breaking off during re-entry."
During the Artemis II capsule's re-entry, observers noted a large patch on the heat shield that appeared damaged. Experts had previously raised concerns about the heat shield's integrity. NASA confirmed that the patch is merely a smudge of burned material and not a defect. The Orion capsule features an ablative heat shield designed to burn away during re-entry. Adjustments were made to the re-entry trajectory after issues with Artemis I's heat shield performance, but concerns about temperature exposure remained.
Read at Mail Online
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