Where did you find that image? I’ve not seen any mention of serious damage and asking ChatGPT - it looks like it might be fake.
Could be a fake
All the comments below say it is AI
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It was a known issue from the previous mission (Artemis I).
No conspiracy, this was the press release from NASA in 2024
Anyway, the job of that heat shield is up in the atmosphere. If it breaks when hitting the ocean, the job was already done.
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That’s the underneath of Artemis I though, not the side of Artemis II. Yes Artemis I had an issue with the heat shield on its underside - but that’s not what the image from Marton is showing.
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Here you can see a close up of the real condition of the capsule sides. You can also note that the tiling does not match the panelling on the earlier image.
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I guess the most important issue is that the module was not lifted out of the water in the middle of the ocean. It was pulled into the recovery ship, and then lifted with an elevator.
I think the party balloons were a nice touch…
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