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.