NASA discusses findings from successful Artemis 1 moon mission
The NASA Artemis program is at the forefront of the United States' renewed commitment to space exploration, with the goal of landing humans back on the moon in the near future. As part of this initiative, NASA's Orion spacecraft recently completed a 25-day test mission, during which it traveled farther from Earth than any human spacecraft has gone before.
NASA Artemis program leaders, as they did back in December when the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, declared the test mission a success.
“We did have a record-breaking mission in terms of where Orion went to the moon. We got as close as 80 miles to the surface of the moon and we traveled farther than any human spacecraft has gone before, 270,000 miles from earth,” NASA’s Orion program manager Howard Hu said.
Now three months later, on Tuesday, NASA program leaders briefed on what they have learned from that test mission as they gear up for the return of humans to the moon.
The heat shield on the Orion spacecraft is one of the key safety measures once astronauts are onboard. While charring was expected, it was revealed that there were little pieces of the heat shield that eroded off when Orion reentered Earth’s atmosphere at 5,000 degrees.
“Some of it we are seeing as larger, like more of little pieces that are coming off versus being ablated. And I think that’s one of the things that was a little bit unexpected as we returned back from the moon,” Hu said.
And the mobile launcher that held the 320-foot tall SLS rocket stack into position on launch pad 39B also sustained a bit more damage than expected.
The damage was done mainly to blast doors, elevators and hosing lines, but the head of NASA exploration ground systems said those repairs are already underway. He added that the other more delicate systems carried on without major issues.
As for Artemis 2, mission managers say none of the data nor analysis from the test mission will push it back from its November 2024 schedule. That mission will take four astronauts out to orbit the moon and then back home.
As for the Artemis missions after that, NASA will be working hand-in-hand with commercial space companies for landers, space suits and other essential equipment. So timelines are fluid based on their progress.
Video below: Artemis 1 launch turns day to night
“There are going to be a lot of variables and factors. But as we have seen with successes across the different commercial partners working alongside NASA, the commercial industry does an incredible job at being fast and at being safe,” Anna Farrar of Space Florida said.
The NASA Artemis program continues to make significant strides in human space exploration, as evidenced by the success of the recent test mission and the ongoing preparations for future missions. With the help of commercial space companies, NASA is committed to pushing the boundaries of space exploration, while also prioritizing safety and efficiency.
