Shortly after discovering the heat shield conditions, NASA initiated an extensive investigation involving a multidisciplinary team of experts focusing on thermal protection and material analysis.

An independent review team, led by former NASA leader Paul Hill, validated NASA's findings on the heat shield's technical issues and confirmed that there were no safety concerns for future missions.

Technical teams conducted thorough sampling, imagery reviews, and extensive ground testing, which included 121 individual tests across various facilities to determine the issue's origin.

Approximately 200 samples of Avcoat were analyzed, revealing that areas of permeable Avcoat did not experience cracking, highlighting the importance of material permeability in preventing char loss.

NASA teams are confident they can modify the Artemis II heat shield design to ensure crew safety, using insights gained from the Artemis I investigation.

The Artemis I spacecraft utilized a skip guidance entry technique, which allowed it to manage its descent effectively by utilizing atmospheric drag and lift.

Pre-flight tests had not accurately simulated the conditions experienced during the mission, as they were conducted at higher heating rates, leading to unexpected behavior of the char layer.

NASA has identified the technical cause of unexpected char loss on the Orion spacecraft's heat shield during the Artemis I mission, linking it to trapped gases within the ablative material.

The investigation revealed that the pressure buildup from these trapped gases led to cracking and uneven shedding of the charred outer layer during reentry from the Moon.

Laboratory simulations at NASA's Ames Research Center confirmed that reduced heating rates during reentry caused the unexpected material loss.

Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator of NASA's Moon to Mars Program, emphasized the importance of the Artemis I test flight for understanding system performance in deep space before crewed missions.

The investigation findings will inform future designs and improvements for Artemis heat shields, focusing on achieving consistent permeability and uniformity in the materials used.