At 39 Times the Speed of Sound, Orion's Heat Shield Performed as Expected

Artemis II sent four astronauts around the Moon and brought them safely back to Earth. The follow-up engineering work is now in: additional data analysis of the Orion spacecraft's heat shield confirmed the initial data showing that it performed as expected, NASA says.

The extremes were the point of the test. Orion reached a maximum velocity of 39 times the speed of sound, and its exterior temperatures exceeded 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit at their peak on the way back.