Learn about minor damage from Hurricane Nicole, NASA launches Artemis 1 mission again

FLORIDA – NASA still decided to throw Mission to the Moon Artemis 1 on November 16, 2022 local time, despite minor damage from Hurricane Nicole. Minor damage has been found to the Orion spacecraft, but it is not believed it will interfere with the launch of Artemis 1.

One major area of ​​concern is the strip of insulation known as RTV, which is designed to seal gaps on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft. Strong winds during Hurricane Nicole stripped portions of the 10-foot-tall RTV from Orion.

Upon discovering the damage, it was feared that the missing putty could create unwanted airflow and cause overheating during casting. After investigating the problem and conducting some analysis, Artemis 1 mission managers determined that the vehicle was still airworthy.

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“The unanimous recommendation to the team is that we are in a good position to continue the launch countdown. There are no changes to our plans for launch on the 16th,” said Jeremy Parsons, Deputy Exploration Ground Systems Program Manager at the Kennedy NASA Space Center. (KSC) in Florida quoted by SINDOnews from Space.com page, Tuesday (11/15/2022).

Mike Sarafin, Artemis Mission Manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said there were no changes to plans for Artemis 1 to launch on the 16th, despite the electrical tape on Orion being torn by high winds during the hurricane. Nicole.

“We examined the entire Artemis 1 mission vehicle stack, from the Orion spacecraft to the bottom of the stack, and agreed that the risk may be limited,” Sarafin told reporters.

However, Parsons added that there is still the possibility that mission leaders will encounter problems that will prevent a launch attempt on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. However, come what may, there is much to be proud of in making the Artemis 1 mission a reality, despite the many setbacks that have delayed its launch several times. .

Read also; Hurricane Nicole survivors, Artemis 1 mission ready for launch November 16

The Artemis 1 mission consisted of an uncrewed Orion spacecraft aboard a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that was to be launched into lunar orbit. This mission is intended to lay the groundwork for future Artemis missions to establish sustainable human life on the Moon.

(wib)