At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians bond thermal protection system tiles to Orion's backshell panels on July 8, 2016...While similar to those used on the space shuttle, Orion only requires about 1,300 tiles compared to more than 24,000 on the shuttle. The tiles, along with the spacecraft’s heat shield, will protect Orion from the 5,000 degree Fahrenheit heat of re-entry.
Photographer NASA/Cory Huston
Date July 8, 2016