Guess What This Creepy Underwater Thing Is That Was Photographed by US Navy Divers for NASA
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A photo shared by NASA shows the charred heat shield of the Artemis 2 Orion capsule after its April 10 Pacific Ocean landing, providing a first look at the spacecraft's thermal protection system post-mission.
- The heat shield, designed to protect astronauts during high-speed Earth reentry, appears to have performed well, with significantly less damage compared to the Artemis 1 mission in 2022, where the shield suffered cracking and charring.
- NASA’s adjusted reentry trajectory for Artemis 2 likely contributed to the improved heat shield performance, enhancing safety prospects for future missions, including Artemis 4, planned for 2028.
- Initial inspections revealed no unusual conditions, and even reflective tape on the spacecraft survived reentry; the crew module will undergo further detailed examination at NASA facilities.
- NASA also plans to investigate issues with the capsule’s space toilet, which malfunctioned due to frozen urine clogging vent lines during the mission, aiming to resolve the problem before Artemis 3.
