Artemis I
Uncrewed 2022 lunar test that revealed Orion heat shield damage, documented in OIG report IG-24-011.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What heat-shield flaw from Artemis I is still unresolved after Artemis II returned safely?
Timeline for Artemis I
Mentioned in: Lockheed reuse claim still waits for evidence
Artemis II Moon MissionMentioned in: Crew talk; heat shield answer waits
Artemis II Moon MissionMentioned in: Artemis III capsule powered up at KSC
Artemis II Moon MissionMentioned in: Third radiation window closes with no data
Artemis II Moon MissionMentioned in: Five open Orion items, no fix dates
Artemis II Moon Mission- What went wrong with Orion's heat shield on Artemis I?
- During re-entry, Orion's heat shield shed ablative material at more than 100 locations. The OIG report IG-24-011 documented three failure modes including Bolt melt that could cause vehicle breakup.Source: NASA OIG IG-24-011
- Did NASA fix the Orion heat shield before Artemis II?
- NASA modified the re-entry trajectory to reduce heat-shield loading but did not replace the shield. The Independent Review Board report was never published before Artemis II flew.Source: NASA OIG / Lowdown
- How far did Artemis I travel?
- Artemis I flew 268,000 miles from Earth over 25.5 days, farther than any previous crew-rated capsule, before splashing down on 11 December 2022.Source: NASA
Background
Artemis I launched on 16 November 2022 as an uncrewed test of the SLS/Orion stack, flying 268,000 miles from Earth over a 25.5-day mission before splashing down on 11 December 2022. The SLS Block 1 and European Service Module performed nominally. During re-entry the Orion heat shield shed material at more than 100 locations, triggering a formal Independent Review Board. The OIG report IG-24-011, published May 2024, documented three failure modes including Bolt melt that could cause vehicle breakup.
NASA chose a modified lower-heating re-entry trajectory rather than a shield replacement for Artemis II. The Independent Review Board report was never published before Artemis II flew. Post-mission, Commander Wiseman reported a "little loss of charred material on the shoulder" consistent with the Artemis I anomaly mode, and a 30-day KSC scan is under way.
Artemis I's unresolved legacy is the standard against which Artemis II is being measured. The OIG documented both the failure modes and the $93 billion programme cost figure that defines congressional scrutiny of the entire Artemis architecture.