The SpaceX Raptor engines are becoming far more powerful and should reach over 330 tons of force while not needing a heat shield. Removing the need for a heat shield will lower the overall mass and ...

Despite some hiccups, the first flight of Starship V3 was an overall success, and the rocket's heat shield certainly exceeded expectations. Reading time 2 minutes The biggest and most powerful rocket ...

NASA has asked a panel of outside experts to review the agency’s investigation into the unexpected loss of material from the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft on a test flight in 2022. Chunks of ...

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 ...

WASHINGTON, DC—This week, NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, said he has “full confidence” in the space agency’s plans to use the existing heat shield to protect the Orion spacecraft during its ...

Excess charring on Artemis I's heat shield had NASA racing to understand what went wrong—and to ensure the technology was still safe for the current crew's high-speed reentry. The uncrewed Artemis I ...

The astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are preparing to launch into space on a trajectory that will make them the first humans to travel to the Moon in over half ...