Due to technical problems with the Orion vehicle intended to transport astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit, NASA is once again forced to postpone the return to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. A file that the future boss of NASA, Jared Isaacman, will have to pick up quickly. The latter declared that he never wanted to finish second, no matter the race!
During the first uncrewed test flight of the spacecraft OrionOrionAs part of the Artemis I mission from November 16 to December 11, 2022, several technical problems were encountered, particularly regarding the thermal shield. An analysis of the ship after recovery in the Pacific Ocean revealed defects in the evacuation of gases produced during re-entry into the Pacific Ocean.EnvironmentEnvironmentresulting in damage to the thermal protection material.
This shield is essential to ensure the safety of the astronauts and spacecraft upon return to Earth. In fact, during a re-entry mission from the Moon, the re-entry process takes place at a speed of 40,000 km/h before the spacecraft decelerates to about 520 km/h. ParachuteParachute For a soft landing in the Pacific Ocean. This shield is known to withstand temperatures of around 2,800°C.
A shield that burns.
This heat shield boils, meaning it loses material as it burns, gradually thinning during descent. It was preferred over a radiative shield (which retains its thickness) because it is possible to scale it up more easily with a certain margin of error. It is enough to increase its thickness to absorb more. The heatThe heat. A radiation shield, on the other hand, allows no margin for error. When the maximum temperature for which it was designed is reached, the material no longer fulfills its protective role and destruction is guaranteed. It is built in. Avcoat removerMaterials successfully used on Apollo capsules and parts of the Space Shuttle during their first flights.
But, as NASA explained in its press release, and contrary to what was expected, during re-entry into the atmosphere, the carbonized material of the heat shield unexpectedly dissipated. An in-depth analysis based on more than 100 tests conducted confirmed that the Artemis I heat shield did not allow for proper evacuation of gases generated within the material. This caused a part of the shield to crack.
Although there were no astronauts on board Orion during Artemis I, the data show that the temperature inside was pleasant and within desirable levels. NASANASA. NASA must therefore modify the shields of the Orion vehicles, to guarantee maximum uniformity and permeability.
On the moon before the Chinese
A situation that forced NASA to once again modify its planning and timetable for the Artemis II and III missions. Artemis II is now scheduled for April 2026, while Artemis III has been pushed back to mid-2027 at best.
In the return race between China and the US LoanLoanHowever, the NASA chief wanted to reassure Americans that despite these delays, the US will reach the moon before China, which plans to land by 2030 or 2029.
