Orion Spacecraft Examined By NASA After Returning From Moon

WASHINGTON: NASA is now inspecting the Artemis I Orion Spacecraft's heat shield and internal payload. On December 11, the Orion spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Artemis 1 mission, which involved a more than 25-day voyage around the moon.

A picture of a group of technicians inspecting the spacecraft was also released by NASA. The heat shield, which experienced temperatures close to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry into Earth's atmosphere, is being closely examined by technicians underneath the crew module in the picture. According to a NASA press statement, the heat shield will be lifted off the spacecraft and brought to another facility for more thorough examinations.

In addition, the teams are checking the thermal protection on the back shell panels that cover the spacecraft to shield it from the harsh conditions in space and during the high-speed, high-heat reentry. The teams are also looking at the capsule's windows.

The deflated crew module uprighting system, which consists of a collection of five airbags and positions the capsule right side up after splashdown but was deflated before being transported back to Kennedy, is located on top of the capsule. Engineers are removing external avionics boxes while the ship is still in the facility's transfer aisle. Prior to moving the capsule into a servicing stand so the interior can be accessed, technicians will take air samples within the capsule.

The internal avionics boxes and payloads will be removed once the hatch has been opened by experts. The avionics boxes will be used again for the Artemis II mission following thorough examinations and testing, according to NASA.

After a few initial tests, Orion was retrieved by a US Navy ship that had been waiting off the Baja California coast of Mexico, according to AFP. The gumdrop-shaped capsule was forced to endure temperatures of 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit) during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, which is nearly half as hot as the Sun's surface.

In preparation for the day when Orion will carry astronauts, the primary objective of this mission was to test the heat shield.

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