Watch NASA’s Orion Capsule Slam Into the Atmosphere at the Speed of Sound » Explorersweb – GWC Mag

NASA’s Artemis mission will put humanity back on the moon (we hope).

When and if it does, the humans on board will be in for an intense return trip through Earth’s atmosphere.

Just watch the footage of the mission’s unpiloted Orion capsule punching back through the envelope. It did so a year ago — at 11 kilometers per second, which is faster than the speed of sound. The video has just recently been released.

Majestic, colorful, frightening — the clip’s got it all. Sound on.

One year ago today, NASA’s Orion spacecraft reentered the atmosphere after completing a 1.4 million-mile, 25.5 day #Artemis I mission around the Moon. View the full length video here: https://t.co/0Rn7eRETua pic.twitter.com/gX95N8Kz5J

— Orion Spacecraft (@NASA_Orion) December 11, 2023

We already know what you’re thinking. Here are the answers:

Two quick things as everyone is asking the same questions:
1) the chunks are not the “ablative” heat shield. It doesn’t come off it chunks, more of a continuous burning. Those bits I believe are the low emissivity tape that wrapped Orion
2) the sudden changes and plumes are…

— Chris Combs (iterative design enjoyer) (@DrChrisCombs) December 12, 2023