For those who follow NASA’s human spaceflight program, when the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield cracked and chipped away during atmospheric reentry on the unpiloted Artemis I test flight in late 2022, ...

Two years ago next week, NASA’s Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean to wrap up what, at first glance, seemed to be a highly successful unpiloted test flight that made a return to the ...

Orion's selfie with Earth and the Moon. Credit: NASA NASA's Orion spacecraft might have successfully traveled to the Moon and back, but its equipment wasn't fully stable throughout the journey. Now, ...

The Artemis II astronauts are about to return from a record-setting trip around the moon, but is their Orion spacecraft's heat shield safe to bring them home? NASA and the astronauts say yes, but not ...

As NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon on Artemis II, a photograph of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield sparked a wave of online concern in early 2026. A visible spot on the capsule ...

Technicians inspect the heat shield on the Orion capsule after Artemis 1. The heat shield lost most charred material than expected, but NASA managers said it was not a safety issue. Credit: NASA/Skip ...

When four astronauts set off on their historic trip around the moon in NASA’s 16.5-foot-wide Orion spacecraft, they knew they’d be testing a known flaw with their spacecraft — one that had some ...

(CNN) — As four astronauts complete their historic trip around the moon in NASA’s 16.5-foot-wide Orion spacecraft, they’ll be testing a known flaw — one that had some experts urging the space agency ...