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Hardware has Orion’s Parachutes ‘Covered’ for Artemis I Mission

Orion's forward bay, which will protect the spacecraft during reentry into Earth's atmosphere, is installed on Nov. 23, 2020.
Affixed to the top of Orion for the Artemis I mission is the shiny, newly installed forward bay cover.

Affixed to the top of Orion for the Artemis I mission is the shiny, newly installed forward bay cover. This critical piece of hardware will protect the top part of Orion’s crew module as the capsule blazes back through Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of more than 25,000 mph. After reentry, jettison mechanisms will generate enough thrust to push the cover away from the spacecraft and allow the three main parachutes to unfurl, stabilizing and slowing the capsule to 20 mph or less for a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston