11/13/2023 0 Comments Planet explorers processing facility![]() ![]() No facility on Earth can simulate the reentry of a crewed spacecraft at Mach 32, so such a surprise was, perhaps, to be expected. During Artemis 1’s return to Earth, pieces of the AVCOAT thermal protection system unexpectedly splintered off in chunks, rather than evenly and steadily ablating. In particular, they are focused on a potential issue with Orion’s heat shield. Simultaneously, Free’s team continues to diligently review the data from Artemis 1. Kennedy Space Center engineers disassemble and inspect the heat shield of the Artemis 1 Orion. Once the 380-foot-tall tower reaches the launch pad, NASA will test the new slidewire baskets which will whisk the crew to a reinforced bunker in the event of an emergency prior to launch. Damage to the cable which supports its Crew Access Arm delayed this milestone by two weeks. During the same November timeframe, the Mobile Launcher which will be used to transport and fuel the rocket will be rolled to Launch Complex 39B for testing. “I don’t expect it to go much past November.” The SLS for Artemis 2 is still far ahead of schedule, and the stage will not be needed until NASA begins stacking the rocket next February. “The Boeing team at (the Michoud Assembly Facility) has a good handle on the work,” said Free. However, its assembly was delayed by an unspecified issue with its “downcomers,” which are the two large pipes which transport liquid oxygen propellant to its engine section. The rocket’s massive Core Stage was scheduled to be completed in February. Progress also continues apace on the the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket which will propel Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen into orbit. Slidewire baskets were recently attached to the SLS Mobile Launcher. ![]() Even after the CM is mated to the ESM later this summer, the two vehicles will need to be put through a series of thermal and vacuum tests, which will occupy the remainder of the year. According to Jim Free, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development, the assembly of Orion is currently the pacing item for Artemis 2. Its solar panels are now being removed and inspected ahead of its integration with the CM. The European Service Module (ESM) which will propel Orion in deep space recently passed its own acoustics test with flying colors. The intense vibrations from the speakers simulate the forces of a rocket launch, and verify that the welds and bolts which hold the capsule together will not fail during its climb to orbit. These speakers will be used to blast the Crew Module (CM) with a range of sound wave frequencies in what is known as a Direct Field Acoustics Test. When Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen first saw their capsule, it was surrounded by an array of oversized speakers. NASA is currently preparing to run Orion through a bevy of tests to verify that its systems operate as intended. Technicians lower Artemis 2’s European Service Module into the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell. ![]()
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