NASA's Orion spacecraft's heat shield survived its trial-by-fire reentry following Artemis II splashdown on April 10, despite concerns that it wouldn't hold up during its fiery plunge through Earth's atmosphere. A photo taken by U.S. Navy divers revealed that the heat shield suffered minimal char loss and its ceramic tiles were uncracked, and the reflective thermal tape was still present in numerous places. Initial inspections found that the system performed as expected, with no unusual conditions identified. The heat shield was designed to protect the mission's crew from the 24,664 mph (39,693 km/h) reentry, a speed that transformed the surrounding air into a plasma inferno half as hot as the sun's surface. However, concerns about its suitability for this final leg of the journey were raised by former NASA astronaut and heat-shield research engineer, who described it as "playing Russian roulette" with the crew's lives. The mission's Space Launch System rocket also performed well, achieving a landing with precision like those of the Apollo missions. While NASA is using these initial assessments to herald future missions in the Artemis program as being "on track," doubts remain over whether the program will arrive in time or delay further delays.