A report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General reflects problems found in the space capsule’s heat shield. Orion which recommends fixing it before the launch of the Artemis II manned mission, scheduled for September 2025.
The report was signed by the acting inspector general of the US space agency. George Scottis the result estimates made by this office following the Artemis I mission, completed at the end of 2022 and during which The ship flew around the moon without a crew.
As the text accessed by EFE this Friday recalls, on the way back to Earth the ship descended at a speed of more than 40,000 km/h and survived temperature about 2700 degrees Celsiusthat is, almost half the surface of the Sun.
“NASA has determined more than 100 points where is Orion’s heat shield ablative thermal protectant material came off unexpectedly upon entry into the Earth’s atmosphere,” the document emphasizes.
At least two images included in the file show damage that the ship’s heat shield was damaged after crossing the atmosphere with the crew on board Artemis II, which will travel around the Moon, and Artemis IIIscheduled for September 2026 and in which two astronauts set foot on the natural satellite.
“Significant risks to crew safety”
Scott warns about these “anomalies with heat shield Orion” and also about separation boltsAnd Energy distributionwhich collectively “pose a significant risk to crew safety” if not addressed.
Since before this NASA report I already knew about the problems unexpected events that occurred in the heat shield after the descent of the ship, which is already undergoing modifications for the Artemis II mission, which will return human species to lunar orbit in 50 years.
“Given the high stakes of a maiden crewed flight, the Agency is working to identify and mitigate any risks and issues to ensure the safe return of the Artemis II crew while also protecting NASA’s critical investment in the Artemis vehicles and systems (program). The space agency announced this on Wednesday.
NASA originally planned to launch Artemis II in November of this year, but in early January announced the delay of this and the next mission in the program.