Artemis II

[Southerner]

I wonder what if feels like to hit the atmosphere. Is it like hitting the brakes really hard? Are you thrown against the seat belt? Or is it more gradual than that?

Do you think it gets hot inside? And then to go from weightlessness to gravity.

[JimFoxvog]

I asked Chat GPT-4o mini. The response:

During reentry, the Orion spacecraft is designed to maintain an internal temperature of around 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 29 degrees Celsius). This is achieved through advanced thermal controls and insulation that protect the crew cabin from the extreme external temperatures that can soar up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). The spacecraft uses its heat shield effectively to ensure the safety and comfort of the crew.

The intense heat generated during reentry creates a plasma bubble around the spacecraft, affecting communication with ground control for about six minutes. However, inside the cabin, measures are in place to keep the temperature within a safe range for the astronauts.

[mike]

I asked Chat GPT-4o mini. The response:

During reentry, the Orion spacecraft is designed to maintain an internal temperature of around 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 29 degrees Celsius). This is achieved through advanced thermal controls and insulation that protect the crew cabin from the extreme external temperatures that can soar up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). The spacecraft uses its heat shield effectively to ensure the safety and comfort of the crew.

The intense heat generated during reentry creates a plasma bubble around the spacecraft, affecting communication with ground control for about six minutes. However, inside the cabin, measures are in place to keep the temperature within a safe range for the astronauts.

5000 degrees whew

[barnhart]

I wonder what if feels like to hit the atmosphere. Is it like hitting the brakes really hard? Are you thrown against the seat belt? Or is it more gradual than that?

I don't think there is a hard edge to the atmosphere, it just gets increasingly thinner, or thicker depending on which direction you are going. I imagine the inertia from loosing that speed will overwhelm any perception of gravity for most of that ride.

[Nomad]

Christina Koch (describing what struck her most from space)-

“Honestly, what struck me wasn’t necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbed in the universe...Planet Earth, you are a crew.”

Made me think of Job 26:7..."He hangs the earth on nothing".