All eyes on Orion’s heat shield: Artemis 2 astronauts will hit Earth's atmosphere at nearly 24,000 mph on April 10

Space.com · 2026-04-09
All eyes on Orion’s heat shield: Artemis 2 astronauts will hit Earth's atmosphere at nearly 24,000 mph on April 10

Artemis 2's Orion capsule will hit Earth's atmosphere at nearly 24,000 mph on April 10. A heat shield and 11 parachutes will help it survive the fiery trip and splash down safely.