On June 25, 2023, the heat shield was successfully deployed aboard the Artemis II Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This 16.5-foot-wide critical component protects the spacecraft from extreme outside temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the safety of onboard astronauts during spacecraft entry.

On June 25, 2023, teams completed installation of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft’s heat shield in the high section of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Cashier Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Then some exterior panels will be installed on the spacecraft before acoustic testing this summer. These tests will verify that the crew module can withstand the vibrations it will experience during takeoff, flight and landing during the Artemis II mission.

Once the acoustic testing is complete, technicians will connect the crew module to the Orion service module, marking an important milestone for the Artemis II mission, the first manned mission under Artemis command, which will test and validate all of Orion’s systems required for future crewed missions. Source