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NASA's Orion spacecraft heat shield, initially problematic during Artemis I, performed well in Artemis II after adjusting the reentry profile, with future missions planned to use a more permeable material for enhanced capability.
SpaceX successfully recovered its Starship vehicle from the Indian Ocean after 24 days at sea, providing valuable data on its heat shield and future reusability plans, though the vehicle itself won't be reused due to saltwater damage.
Experts warn that SpaceX's current heat shield technology for Starship may not be sufficient for rapid reuse, requiring extensive inspection and refurbishment after each flight.
SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight achieved an intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean, providing valuable heat shield data. Elon Musk indicated the next flight may attempt to catch the ship with the launch tower.
Elon Musk comments on the latest heat shield design for SpaceX Starship, highlighting improvements across flights 10-13 and noting that progress is being made.
SpaceX will deploy V3 Starlink satellites for the first time during Starship's 13th test flight, with six modified satellites equipped with cameras to scan the heat shield.
Elon Musk reports that the Starship V3 heat shield held well during a suborbital test flight, with peak temperatures reaching 1450°C, lower than Earth reentry or lunar return temperatures.