NASA confident Artemis 2 heat shield will protect crew during re-entry

When the Artemis 2 Orion crew capsule returns to Earth after flying around the moon, it will hit the discernible atmosphere some 75 miles above the Pacific Ocean at a blistering 24,000 mph, fast enough to fly from New York to London in less than 10 minutes.

Published by Spaceflight Now on 04/10/2026