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Artemis II Heat Shield After Splashdown

Shortly after NASA’s Artemis II mission splashed down on April 10, 2026, U.S. Navy divers captured underwater imagery of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. In the months after, the agency measured whether the thermal protection system effectively safeguarded the crew…

This article was originally published by NASA Breaking News and is republished here under license.
The Orion spacecraft's heat shield dominates this underwater photo. Due to the water, the heat shield appears to be teal-colored.
US Navy

Shortly after NASA’s Artemis II mission splashed down on April 10, 2026, U.S. Navy divers captured underwater imagery of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. In the months after, the agency measured whether the thermal protection system effectively safeguarded the crew and Orion systems as the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere. This rigorous analysis confirmed that the heat shield performed as expected.

Learn how Orion’s heat shield was examined.

Image credit: US Navy

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