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As Artemis II heads back to Earth today, crew is staking their lives on the heat shield
Updated on: April 10, 2026 / 6:59 AM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- The Artemis II crew capsule is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed, reaching temperatures around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The heat shield experienced sub-surface cracks and gas pockets during the unpiloted Artemis I mission in 2022.
- Engineers discovered the damage was likely due to the Avcoat material's lack of permeability during a specific phase of reentry.
- NASA modified the reentry trajectory for Artemis II to eliminate temperature and pressure swings that contributed to the Artemis I damage.
- The Artemis II heat shield is identical to the one used in Artemis I, as replacing it would have caused significant delays.
- A former astronaut, Charles Camarda, has criticized the decision to proceed with the 'fly as is' heat shield, expressing concerns about understanding the root cause of the damage.
- Crew members and NASA officials have expressed high confidence in the heat shield and recovery systems based on testing and analysis.