NASA still doesn't understand the root cause of Orion's heat shield problem

Enlarge / from NASA Orion spatialship goes down towards THE Peaceful Ocean on December 11, 2021, has THE END of THE Artemis I assignment. NASA

NASA civil servants declared THE Artemis I assignment successful In late 2021, And It is hard has argue with that assessment. THE Space Launch System rocket And Orion spatialship carried out almost perfectly on A unmanned flight that took he around THE Moon And back has Earth, setting THE scene For THE Artemis II, THE programs First of all crew mission.

But A of THE things engineers saw on Artemis I that doesn't enough match expectations was A issue with THE Orion spatialship heat shield. As THE capsule striated back In Earth atmosphere has THE END of THE assignment, THE heat shield ablation, Or burned disabled, In A different manner that predicted by computer models.

More of THE charred material that expected came disabled THE heat shield during THE Artemis I back to school, And THE path he came disabled was somewhat unequal, NASA civil servants said. that of Orion heat shield East do of A material called Avcoat, which East designed has burn disabled as THE spatialship dives In THE atmosphere has 25,000 mph (40,000 kilometers by hour). Future back Since THE Moon, Orion encounter temperatures up has 5,000° Fahrenheit (2760° Celsius), hotter that A spatialship see When he go home THE atmosphere Since Low land orbit.

Despite heat shield issue, THE Orion spatialship without issue splashed down In THE Peaceful Ocean. Engineers discovered THE unequal carbonization during After the flight inspections.

No answers Again

Amit Kshatriya, WHO supervises development For THE Artemis missions In from NASA exploration division, said Friday that THE agency East always look For THE root cause of THE heat shield issue. Managers to want has be Of course they to understand THE cause Before proceed with Artemis II, which will send astronauts Reid Wise man, Victor Glove, Christina Koch, And Jeremiah Hansen on A 10 days flight around THE far side of THE Moon.

This will be THE First of all time humans fly close THE Moon Since THE last Apollo assignment In 1972. In January, NASA announcement A delay In THE launch of Artemis II Since late 2024 until September 2025, largely due has THE unresolved investigation In THE heat shield problem.

"We are always In THE medium of OUR investigation on THE performance of THE heat shield Since Artemis I," Kshatriya said Friday In A meeting with A Committee of THE NASA Advisory Tip.

Engineers to have carried out subscale heat shield tests In wind tunnels And bow jet facilities has better to understand What directed has THE unequal carbonization on Artemis I. "Were get close has THE final answer In terms of that cause," Kshatriya said.

NASA civil servants previously said he East unlikely they will need has TO DO changes has THE heat shield Already installed on THE Orion spatialship For Artemis II, but do not have governed he out. A redesign Or changes has THE Orion heat shield on Artemis II would be probably delay THE assignment by has less A year.

Instead, engineers are Analyzing all of THE possible trajectories THE Orion spatialship could fly When he go home THE atmosphere has THE END of THE Artemis II assignment. On Artemis I, Orion stole A jump back to school profile, Or he dived In THE atmosphere, ignored back In space, And SO do A final descent In THE atmosphere, sort of as A rock leap through A pond. This profile allow Orion has TO DO more accurate water landings close recovery teams In THE Peaceful Ocean And reduced g-forces on THE spatialship And THE crew horse riding inside. He Also divides itself up THE heat load on THE spatialship In two phases.

THE Apollo missions stole A direct back to school profile. There East Also A back to school fashion available called A ballistic entrance, In which THE spatialship would be fly through THE atmosphere unguided.