The Aerothermodynamics of Artemis II Reentry

Aerospace Engineering

An in-depth look at the physics and mathematics of the Orion capsule's return to Earth, covering shock layers, heat flux, and trajectory profiles.

Hypersonics Artemis Program Thermodynamics

12 Questions Hard Ages 16+ Apr 12, 2026

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About this Study Set

This study set covers Aerospace Engineering through 12 practice questions. An in-depth look at the physics and mathematics of the Orion capsule's return to Earth, covering shock layers, heat flux, and trajectory profiles. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.

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Browse all 12 questions from the The Aerothermodynamics of Artemis II Reentry study set below. Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.

1 What is the region between the shock wave and the capsule surface called?

A The boundary layer
B The shock layer
C The plasma film
D The stagnation zone

2 Which equations are used to derive shock jump relations for normal shock waves?

A Navier-Stokes Equations
B Bernoulli's Equations
C Rankine-Hugoniot Equations
D Maxwell's Equations

3 At Mach 32, why is the real gas temperature (8,000-10,000 K) lower than the perfect gas prediction (60,000 K)?

A Energy is lost to friction
B Energy is used for dissociation and ionization
C The heat shield absorbs the energy
D The air is thinner at high altitudes

4 What are the two primary sources of heating for the vehicle during reentry?

A Convective and Radiative
B Frictional and Chemical
C Solar and Nuclear
D Magnetic and Kinetic

5 Which heating source dominates during the lunar reentry of Artemis II?

A Convective heating
B Radiative heating
C Frictional heating
D Conductive heating

6 What is the name of the relation used to determine convective heat flux at the stagnation point?

A Reynolds relation
B Fay-Riddell relation
C Stefan-Boltzmann law
D Newton's law of cooling

7 How does convective heat transfer scale with velocity according to the text?

A Linearly
B Square of velocity
C Third-power of velocity
D Inversely

8 Why is a blunt capsule geometry preferred over a sharp-nosed design for reentry?

A To increase fuel efficiency
B To reduce weight
C To manage heat by pushing the shock wave farther away
D To increase subsonic speed

9 What is the approximate drag coefficient (Cd) for Orion at hypersonic speeds?

A 0.5
B 0.9
C 1.3
D 2.1

10 What is the peak predicted deceleration force (g-force) for the Artemis II crew?

A 2g
B 4g
C 8g
D 12g

11 How does the Artemis II reentry profile differ from Artemis I?

A Artemis II uses a skip trajectory
B Artemis II uses a lofted guidance profile with a single reentry
C Artemis II enters at a lower Mach number
D Artemis II uses parachutes earlier

12 What caused the heat shield damage on Artemis I?

A Extreme cold in space
B Micrometeoroid impacts
C Gas trapped in the ablator escaping during the skip phase
D Improper parachute deployment

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