The analysis of the data collected by the Orion capsule of the Artemis 1 mission, launched in November 2022 with the function of a forerunner for the return of humanity to the Moon, has been completed. Only minor problems have been detected and NASA has announced that it will therefore be possible to proceed with the next phase: the launch of Artemis 2 in November 2024 with the first astronauts on board to orbit the Moon.
The biggest problem was found on the heat shield that protects the Orion capsule during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere: it would have been consumed abnormally, but without causing great concern. “During the re-entry phase we had more charring and loss of material than we expected,” NASA’s Howard Hu said. However, the thermal cover has safety margins that have not been affected and therefore, he noted, do not give cause for concern for the future.
Small anomalies have also been found with the power system on the Orion service module, the element that is supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) which participates in the ambitious international Artemis programme, and the damage caused by the launcher to structures on the launch pad.
These are therefore minor inconveniences, which will not affect the next steps in the program and in particular the launch of Artemis 2, with astronauts aboard the Orion capsule that will orbit the Moon, scheduled for November 2024. A prologue for Artemis 3 which could be launched in 2025, bringing the first crew to the lunar surface, but progress on the development of the lunar lander, SpaceX’s Starship, and the new space suits that the American company Axiom Space is making will weigh on these timings.
Source: Ansa
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