[BenLurkin]

If NASA knew several years ago what it knows now, the heat shield would be designed differently. But they’re confident that flying the Artemis 2 heat shield on the revised profile is perfectly safe.

During the first mission, Artemis 1, the vehicle descended from about 400,000 to 100,000 feet, and it was under a heat load of various levels for 14 minutes. With Artemis 2, this time it will be reduced to only 8 minutes.

Dumb question: If the reentry is steeper doesn't that cause more strain on the astronauts?

[null and void]

Yes, but for a shorter time.

[cpdiii]

What concerns me is with the steeper angle of reentry the heat shield will endure even higher temperatures that the one with the damage. However, the damaged one was several minutes longer during the high temperature regimen. but at a lower temperature than a steep angle re-entry.

I sure as hell would not fly in either of them until a high angle reentry was done at the speeds of returning from the moon on a remotly piloted vehicle.

[SunkenCiv]

Just the sudden stop at the end. 🔥

[Secret Agent Man]

Good grief they made heat shields thzt aorked in the 60s. Now we apparently aren’t sure we can.