NASA postpones Artemis missions over heat shield concerns

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NASA postpones Artemis missions over heat shield concerns

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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Dec 9, 2024

NASA has announced a delay in its Artemis II and III missions due to safety concerns related to the Orion crew capsule's heat shield. Initially, the Artemis II test flight was planned for November 2024, but it is now rescheduled for April 2026. The Artemis III lunar landing mission is postponed to mid-2027.

Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, confirmed that the delays stem from an investigation into Orion's heat shield conducted by Lockheed Martin. This investigation pinpointed the cause of issues encountered during the Artemis I flight in November 2022 when there was an "unexpected loss" of material from the heat shield made of Avcoat during re-entry. Nelson stated, "Assuming the SpaceX lander is ready, we plan to launch Artemis III in mid-2027. That will be well ahead of the Chinese government’s announced intention to land on the lunar surface by 2030."

The two-year-long investigation concluded with a focus on ensuring that subsequent test flights are executed correctly. Nelson highlighted this importance as essential for success.

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Artemis II will involve a 10-day crewed test flight around the moon using NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), marking over five decades since astronauts have been sent around the moon. Meanwhile, Artemis III will see astronauts transferred to SpaceX's Starship HLS for a manned lunar landing.

Despite past challenges with Artemis I's heat shield, NASA decided to proceed with using it for Artemis II. The issue involved gas accumulation within Avcoat during re-entry via "skip guidance entry," leading to cracking and uneven shedding of its outer layer. However, internal temperatures remained within safe limits during these conditions.

NASA has conducted extensive ground tests replicating conditions experienced by Artemis I and under more intense heating rates than those encountered during actual flight. These tests verified that permeable char would form as expected under high-pressure scenarios allowing gas release safely without major design changes but necessitating adjustments in re-entry trajectory.