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Testing of Moon-Visited Spacecraft for Next Lunar Mission
A spacecraft that completed a mission to the moon is currently undergoing testing to assist astronauts on the upcoming lunar mission. The Orion spacecraft, utilized for Artemis 1, orbited the moon with mannequins and scientific experiments in 2022. It has now landed in Ohio for an eight-month testing phase before human astronauts embark on future versions of the spacecraft, as announced by NASA officials in a statement on March 6.
Artemis 2 is expected to take four astronauts on a journey around the moon no earlier than September 2025. Subsequently, Artemis 3 is slated to transport astronauts to the lunar surface no earlier than 2026 utilizing SpaceX’s Starship, following a trip to the moon on Orion. Both Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 faced delays in January due to various technical challenges.
The Orion spacecraft used in Artemis 1, now referred to as the Orion Environmental Test Article, has commenced eight months of planned emergency testing in March 2024 in collaboration with NASA and Lockheed Martin. This testing period, taking place at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, is aimed at ensuring that Orion is equipped to safeguard the crew in the event of an emergency during launch.
Engineers and technicians from NASA and Lockheed Martin will subject the test article to extreme conditions that Orion may encounter during a launch abort scenario. The extensive test campaign includes simulations of lightning strikes and abort-level acoustics exceeding 160 decibels, louder than a jackhammer. It also involves the deployment of the spacecraft’s docking and shielding covers along with its crew module uprighting system, comprised of five airbags that inflate upon splashdown.
Although Artemis 1’s Orion underwent months of space environment testing in 2019 and 2020 in preparation for space travel, the current focus is on ensuring its capability to protect the onboard crew. The four astronauts assigned to Artemis 2 include NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover (set to become the first Black person to depart low Earth orbit), NASA mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman to venture beyond LEO), and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen (the first non-American).
Artemis Program and Moon Settlement
The Artemis missions are integral to the broader Artemis program, striving to establish a settlement at the moon’s south pole near water ice resources, in conjunction with a NASA-operated space station known as Gateway. The NASA-led Artemis Accords mandate all 35 signatories to adhere to U.S.-led guidelines for peaceful space exploration. Subsequently, countries like Canada contribute hardware for moon missions as part of this collaborative effort.
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