# NASA says the Orion heat shield will hold. Today it finds out for real.

- slug: nasa-says-the-orion-heat-shield-will-hold-today-it-finds-out-for-real
- date: 2026-04-10
- category: Space & Aerospace

The Orion heat shield cracked on its first flight. NASA redesigned the trajectory instead of replacing it. Today four astronauts bet their lives on that fix.

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