NASA Targets New November Launch Window for Artemis 1 – ExtremeTech

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After several setbacks, NASA is targeting a new launch window for Artemis 1’s maiden flight. If all goes well, the rocket will make a spectacular launch in the dark skies just after midnight on November 14.

In a blog post, the agency said, “Inspections and analysis over the past week have confirmed that minimal work is required to prepare the rocket and spacecraft to head to Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida following hurricane rollback roll Jan.”

Much of the work Artemis needs involves the all-important insulation of the rocket’s fuel tanks. The agency uses cork and foam to dampen vibrations and insulate from thermal extremes. But the rocket stood on the pad for almost a year. Then there’s the side issue of Hurricane Ian. So NASA says they’re going to do a bit of “standard maintenance.” to repair minor damage to the cork and foam of the Space Launch System (SLS). thermal protection system. In addition to the insulation, technicians also wrestled with the missile’s Flight Termination System (FTS). Cars need an accelerator pedal and a brake. Likewise, the missile must have a way of minimizing damage by ending a failed flight at the right time.

Once those repairs are complete, NASA plans to taxi the SLS and Orion back to the launch pad “as early as Friday, November 4th.” If all goes well, Artemis 1 will then take off during a 69-minute launch window beginning at 12:07 AM EST. This will be the agency’s third attempt to launch the besieged SLS missile.

The third time is the charm?

Artemis 1 will be a test flight. Therefore, there will be no people on board. Instead, NASA sends up three mannequins. The commander’s seat is Commander Moonikin Campos, a reference to electrical engineer Arturo Campos, who “was instrumental in bringing Apollo 13 back to Earth.” Commander Campos wears a fancy new space suit called AstroRad: a joint project of the Israel Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center.

The flight will also carry two identical mannequin torsos. But these aren’t just any crash test dummies. These mannequins, also known as phantoms by NASA, are made of materials that “mimic the human bones, soft tissues, and organs of an adult woman.” Their names are Helga and Zohar.

They may be the same size, but these identical mannequin torsos will test different equipment. The agency explains: “Although they share the journey, their missions will be different – Zohar will wear the AstroRad vest, Helga will not. Feminine shapes were chosen because women are typically more sensitive to the effects of cosmic radiation.” But the AstroRad Vest is designed to protect both men and women. After the AstroRad was tested during Artemis 1, human passengers on future Artemis flights may benefit from its protection.

Many crash tests use adult male sized mannequins. Because males are statistically larger, safety gear often rests in different places on the female body, like a seat belt that falls on a driver’s sternum but sits too high on a passenger’s neck. Unfortunately, this means that women are almost twice as likely to be injured in an accident. So to clean up the data and make sure all of our astronauts have good gear, NASA sends mannequins (female mannequins?) in sizes that tend to encompass smaller bodies.

Should the mission launch during the November 14 window, Artemis 1 will be a 25-day flight. This may or may not have a major impact on how things go. When Artemis first attempted launch, the capsule would have been in orbit for 42 days. However, such a long time in space pushes the design limits of the spacecraft. Due to the SLS rocket’s ongoing hardware issues, a more conservative flight might be the better outcome.

In any case, NASA has backup launch dates: November 16th and 19th.

Cover photo: NASA/Joel Kowsky

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