On June 25, a team of experts managed to complete the installation of a heat shield on the return cabin of the Orion ship destined for the Artemis II mission. This milestone occurred in the assembly hall at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, located at the Kennedy Center in Florida. The shield with a diameter of about 5 meters is one of the most important systems of the Orion ship, as it will ensure the safe return of the astronauts inside the cabin back to Earth. At the end of the mission, which includes a flyby of the Moon, Orion will enter the atmosphere at a speed of about 40,000 km/h, which will drive the temperatures outside the cabin up to values of around 2700 °C. However, the astronauts in the cabin will enjoy pleasant room temperatures at that time, which will be ensured by the thermal protection system.
Orion’s heat shield for the Artemis II mission.
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However, the preparation of Orion certainly does not end with the installation of the heat shield. The ship will now be fitted with external panels to undergo acoustic tests during the summer. These are to prove that the reentry cabin can withstand the vibrations it will experience during the Artemis II mission – both during takeoff, flight and landing. Once the acoustic tests are complete, technicians will connect Orion’s reentry cabin to the ship’s service module. This will be another important milestone in the preparation of the Artemis II mission, which will be the first manned mission under the Artemis program. The task of the mission will be to optimally examine and check all Orion systems necessary for future manned missions.
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2023-06-28 15:40:16
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