NASA's Artemis II Mission Faces Heat Shield Concerns Ahead of Crewed Moon Journey

• Experts raise concerns over the heat shield of NASA's Orion spacecraft for the upcoming Artemis II mission, the first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years.
• The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft were moved to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for final tests before the February 6 launch.
• The mission will carry four astronauts (three American, one Canadian) on a 10-day journey around the Moon, without landing on its surface.
• Former NASA astronaut Dr. Danny Olivas described the heat shield as "deviant," noting it's not what NASA would typically provide for astronauts, while Dr. Charlie Camarda called the decision to fly with it "crazy."
• The heat shield is similar to the one on the uncrewed Artemis I, which sustained unexpected damage and divots from breaking Avcoat material during its 2022 return.

Why It Matters: NASA's Artemis II crewed Moon mission faces expert concerns regarding its heat shield's safety.