Artemis II heat shield: NASA will use a direct re-entry for Orion.

NASA will fly Artemis II with Orion's existing AVCOAT heat shield and change the capsule's re-entry to a single direct entry after tests linked Artemis I damage to trapped gases.

NASA is preparing to fly the crewed Artemis II mission using the same AVCOAT heat shield that showed damage during the uncrewed Artemis I flight. An investigation found that gases formed inside the heat‑shield material and contributed to large sections breaking away during Artemis I. For Artemis II, NASA will keep the current shield design but change the re-entry profile so Orion enters the atmosphere directly, reducing the shield's time exposed to hot plasma. Managers and outside experts have reported extensive testing and said they have confidence in the revised plan. Key points: - The Artemis I test flight showed unexpected loss of large chunks of the AVCOAT heat shield during re-entry. - Investigators reported trapped gases in the material as a primary cause of the damage. - NASA decided not to replace the shield for Artemis II, citing cost and schedule impacts, and will retain the existing design. - The mission will use a single, direct atmospheric entry for Orion to limit exposure time; testing in wind tunnels and plasma labs has informed that choice. Summary: NASA judged that replacing the heat shield for Artemis II would introduce greater delays and costs than the assessed risks of using the existing design, and managers moved to a revised re-entry profile intended to lower exposure of the shield to heating. The next major step is the upcoming Artemis II flight, which will use the direct-entry plan and follows further testing and reviews reported by NASA and outside experts.