After 10 days in space on the first manned mission to the moon in more than five decades<\/a>, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen just have one major thing left to do: splash down safely off the coast of California on Friday, April 10.<\/p>\n Re-entering the Earth\u2019s atmosphere is always hazardous. Their spacecraft will be subject to temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why the capsule has a heat shield designed to provide protection to the returning astronauts, according to NBC News<\/a> and CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n Credit: NASA via Getty; Isaac Watson\/NASA<\/p>\n But by its own admission, NASA has said the heat shield on this crew’s space capsule has known flaws, and according to The New York Times<\/a>, could disintegrate if it fails. There is no backup and a major failure could put the lives of all four on board at risk.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 13 minutes of things that have to go right,\u201d Jeff Radigan, NASA\u2019s Artemis II flight director, said at a press conference on Thursday, April 9, per NBC News.<\/p>\n The unmanned Artemis I mission faced issues with its heat shield as it returned to Earth back in 2022.\u00a0The Artemis II crew is using the same design.<\/p>\n An investigation conducted by NASA<\/a> determined the shield cracked in some spots due to \u201cgas pressure built up\u201d after Artemis I faced \u201cless severe heating\u201d than expected upon re-entry into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n However, NASA said a crew \u201cwould have been safe\u201d had they been on board, with temperatures in the crew module \u201cholding steady in the mid-70s. The thermal performance of the heat shield, they added, \u201cexceeded expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n After the investigation, NASA said its teams \u201cunanimously agreed\u201d that the agency could develop a modified path for the Artemis II mission \u201cthat will keep crew safe\u201d during re-entry.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery system we\u2019ve demonstrated over the past nine days \u2014 life support, navigation, propulsion, communications \u2014 all of it depends on the final minutes of flight,\u201d Amit Kshatriya, NASA\u2019s associate administrator, said at Thursday\u2019s briefing.<\/p>\n In an open letter<\/a> sent in January to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Charlie Camarda, a former NASA astronaut and an expert on heat shields, suggested NASA should not have launched Artemis II with its current heat shield design.<\/p>\n \u201cHistory shows accidents occur when organizations convince themselves they understand problems they do not,\u201d Camarda wrote at the end of his letter. \u201cThis issue exhibits the same patterns that preceded past catastrophes.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking with the Times, Camarda said that there is a 95% chance that the Artemis II astronauts will return home safely. Still, he added,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m going to pray that nothing happens.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Isaacman has expressed \u201cfull confidence\u201d in Orion\u2019s heat shield, according to NBC News.<\/p>\n (L-R) Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen As they prepared for splashdown, the crew sent some touching messages to their families, according to Today<\/a> and The New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to look at my daughters, Ellie and Katey, and just say I love you,\u201d said Wiseman, the mission commander.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Hansen offered some advice to his three kids: \u201cAll you have to do on any given day is just get up and do your best and try to find joy in your day and try to contribute in a meaningful and positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Credit:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6f659b2852a0a905946e4161b4391704.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Joe Raedle\/Getty<\/p>\n