tech
January 10, 2026
Is Orion’s heat shield really safe? New NASA chief conducts final review on eve of flight.
“That level of openness and transparency is exactly what should be expected of NASA.”
TL;DR
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has full confidence in the Orion spacecraft and its heat shield for the Artemis II mission.
- Concerns arose after Artemis I mission showed significant heat shield damage, with NASA criticized for opaque handling of the issue.
- An independent review team's findings were finalized, leading NASA to decide to fly Artemis II with the existing heat shield.
- A meeting with outside experts, including former astronauts Charles Camarda and Danny Olivas, aimed to increase transparency.
- NASA engineers presented new data, including "what if we're wrong" testing, showing Orion's structure would remain safe even with catastrophic heat shield failure.
- The agency has adjusted Orion's reentry profile for Artemis II to minimize heat shield damage.
- While some critics remain skeptical, former astronauts Danny Olivas and Charles Camarda had their concerns addressed to varying degrees.
- The astronauts selected for Artemis II are reportedly comfortable with the decision to fly.
- Changes to improve heat shield permeability are being incorporated into the Artemis III mission's heat shield.
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