NASA's new assessment of Artemis II gives a clearer account of how Orion protected its first crew during the return from the Moon. In its October 15 report, the agency says the spacecraft's heat shield performed in line with engineering predictions, with substantially less cracking and char loss than on Artemis I. The flight itself ended with splashdown on April 10, 2026; the news now is the more detailed post-flight analysis, not a new return to Earth.

The conditions outside and inside the capsule illustrate the task the protection system had to perform. NASA reports that Orion reached a maximum speed of 39 times the speed of sound and encountered external temperatures above 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside, the four astronauts experienced cabin temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. For people following plans for future crewed missions, the practical significance is that thermal protection has been assessed using evidence from a flight with astronauts aboard, alongside the earlier predictions and ground tests.

Read full story ↗Connie Brew

Linus Tech Tips has returned to a custom PC project that stalled seven years ago. In its October 8 release, the channel says missing parts and changes around the original project had stopped the build. Its official announcement now credits Alex and Andy from Zip Tie Tuning and Zip Tie Tech with helping bring it back, along with custom CPU and GPU cooling blocks from EKWB.

The appeal is easy to understand: sometimes the computer you want to build is the one you never finished, rather than the fastest machine available today. LTT’s published chapter list moves through the cooling system, pressure testing, Windows XP and gaming. That makes this a useful starting point for thinking about retro projects, rather than a reason to expect modern performance from old hardware. This article draws on the channel’s published information and supporting documentation, not our own test of its machine.

Read full story ↗Connie Brew