Archive for the ‘Wait a Minute!’ Category
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May 12th, 2025
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Call it an SOSS message – a Save Our Solar System planetary science community communiqué.
It is unquestionably a “wait-a-minute” concern running through the space science research groups.
Given the considerable uncertainty about the future NASA Science budget given projected Trump Administration funding considerations, the chairs of analysis/assessment groups (AGs), linked to the space agency’s Planetary Science Division, issued a statement today.
The statement has been stirred up by the President’s top-level recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026, or so-called “skinny budget.”
Image credit: White House
Budget specificity
The term skinny budget means that the document contains brief descriptions of programs and recommended financial reductions or increases.
Still to come is the “Full Monty” of budget specificity that’s expected shortly.
That skinny budget was released on May 2 and noted major cuts to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate budget, such as cancelling the top Decadal priority flagship mission, Mars Sample Return.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has been busy at work collecting Mars samples at Jezero Crater. A projected Mars Sample Return program would bring those specimens to Earth for state-of-the-art analysis.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“The extent of the proposed cuts to, or cancellation of, missions and programs, including research and analysis, will not be known until the full budget is released,” the statement observes. “That budget will make its way through Congress, where changes of unknown magnitude are likely to be made and we won’t know the final FY26 budget for some time to come.”
Image credit: NASA/Jenny Mottar
Impacts of NASA science
As reiterated in the statement, the positive impact of science at NASA and crucial role it plays in broad societal terms include:
- Exploration and research in planetary science enables us to better understand the history of the Solar System, as well as our planet and origins;
- Deep space exploration is a tremendous source of innovation in science and technology having applications well beyond space science research, including in the commercial sector, where over 60 years of investment and development have placed the US at the forefront of research and technological advancements in general;
- Planetary and space science research has served as an inspiration for generations of present and future scientists and engineers. NASA’s science and exploration contribute to our national posture, where US leadership in planetary science is a source of geopolitical soft power;
- NASA’s spaceflight missions and associated scientific research are thoughtfully developed and carefully prioritized, being guided by reports from the independent National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; these reports are written by top scientists and engineers and represent the consensus view of their respective communities as to the activities that will be of greatest value to science and the American taxpayer over decadal timespans;
- Science at NASA engages some of the brightest minds of the nation to develop solutions to problems of human survival and growth based on fact-based inquiry and analysis – although life and civilization are robust, the geologic record shows the Earth’s and the Solar System’s history of catastrophe and global change, from extinction-level impacts to solar storms to ice ages and hot-houses and science enables us to understand these better; and
- At the broadest level, science everywhere represents fundamental human curiosity, helping us to understand the world around us and develop innovative solutions to problems, enabling us to become more productive, and make informed decisions about societal concerns.
Eating the seed corn
In closing, the statement signed by AG officials reminds the reader of an observation of noted space scientist, Carl Sagan:
Astronomer Carl Sagan poses with a model of a NASA Viking lander in Death Valley, California.
Image credit: NASA
“Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn,” Sagan advised. “We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?”
The letter explains that by abandoning our most ambitious efforts, such as Mars Sample Return, which already have substantial investment, “will cede this position of leadership to other nations, such as China.”
Lastly, the communiqué concludes that science at NASA deserves “full-throated support from our community and the public.”
For their part, the AG chairs are working diligently to represent the PSD community in this time of change, “but we encourage you to make your voice heard, and the more voices, the more powerful the impact will be.”
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Posted in 
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
A U.S. Senate committee is set to vote tomorrow on Jared Isaacman, the Trump Administration’s selectee for NASA administrator.
That’s one small step for Isaacman in true wait-a-minute style deliberation.
On Wednesday, April 30, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session to vote on whether to advance Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA.
Entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, President Trump’s nominee to be NASA administrator, appears April 9 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and testifies that NASA is a “force multiplier for science.”
NASA / Bill Ingalls
Isaacman appeared before the committee on April 9. In written answers to questions, Isaacman revealed more of his views regarding his handling of NASA issues.
Isaacman did call the projected Trump administration’s planned cuts to NASA not “an optimal outcome.”
REPUBLICAN QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD – Go to:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/5C22B600-2AAB-4ACF-AE89-FA78A04E602D
DEMOCRATIC QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD – Go to:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/13EEBAAD-3523-45C8-BB97-EB1031A01741
Image credit: NASA
What now?
As for taking over NASA, there’s still some question as to when Isaacman does get confirmed – and what space agency decision-making is still to come.
“Tomorrow is just a committee vote. It could be days, weeks or months before the full Senate votes. We’ll see what the issues are then,” said Marcia Smith, founder and editor of the informative SpacePolicyOnline.com at: https://spacepolicyonline.com/
If days, Smith added, the top job will be seeing if it’s too late for Isaacman to have any influence on the budget request. “Once Trump sends it to Congress he’ll have to support whatever it says.”
To watch the livestream on Wednesday, April 30, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, go to:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/
Meanwhile, take a look at this just-issued NASA release, “NASA Soars to New Heights in First 100 Days of Trump Administration.” Go to:
Wait-a- minute, Congress at work.
Image credit: Barbara David
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
It’s a wait-a-minute moment as featured in a new issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
“Mars Attacks: How Elon Musk’s plans to colonize Mars threaten Earth” is the work of Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith, adapted from their book A City on Mars
Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? (Penguin Press).
This fully-illustrated comic explores the implications of space colonization.
“If the world’s most powerful nation, helped along by history’s most powerful rocket company, were to scrap international space law, it would have consequences that may echo for centuries,” writes Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct faculty member at Rice University, and Zach Weinersmith, creator of the popular webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Artwork credit: Zach Weinersmith
Signing of Outer Space Treaty.
Image credit: United Nations
Outer Space Treaty
“Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is intent on creating a one-million-person colony on Mars. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk also seems content to break anything that stands in his way—including potentially a Cold War era treaty that has kept humanity safe for over 50 years, the Outer Space Treaty (OST),” they write. “Musk’s rejection of international governance could have lasting implications for life on earth, and could augur a new era of geopolitical conflict.”
To read the full story, go to:
“Wait-a-minute”
Image credit: Barbara David
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Call it a pre-emptive strike, as well as a “wait-a-minute” moment in U.S. rocketry.
A Boeing-backed website is in full-advocacy mode for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS).
Image credit: Watch U.S. Fly
On one hand, pundits are poking at the Boeing SLS contract, at a time of internal and external looks at NASA’s budgetary condition.
For good measure, toss in SpaceX’s Elon Musk and his Trump-supported Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) campaign. And then there’s the upshot from Musk’s Starship program.
Image credit: SpaceX
There’s even discussion of skipping the Moon and heading for Mars – a scenario that would question the ongoing NASA Artemis “rebooting” of the Moon with human expeditions.
Critical component
SLS is a powerful rocket that’s “irreplaceable” to our nation’s long-term space strategy, the website states. “Congress must prioritize its continued funding to establish America’s leadership role in space.”
Space Launch System (SLS) Credit: NASA/MSFC
SLS is the centerpiece of the Artemis missions, argues the website, “and a critical component for America’s continuing dominance in space. Importantly, it’s the only rocket that can lift the Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.”
“Adversarial nations like Russia and China are investing heavily in space exploration, which puts America’s role as the global space leader in jeopardy,” states a communique, adding that “NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is the answer to this threat.”
Letter-writing campaign
A letter-writing campaign for “SLS Will Deliver US Dominance in Space” is at:
For more details, go to:
Image credit: Barbara David
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
There is increasing angst in the ranks of NASA space explorers about the overall future health and vitality of the agency.
For example, The Planetary Society recently put out a 911 emergency dispatch about reported cuts to NASA that “would amount to an ‘extinction event’ for space science and exploration.
“The Planetary Society is deeply alarmed by reports that the White House will propose a 50% cut to NASA’s science activities in the upcoming agency budget request.”
Trump’s pick to run NASA
It’s a wait-a-minute moment given President Trump’s pick to run NASA – Jared Isaacman, an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and commander of two SpaceX Dragon capsule sojourns into Earth orbit.
Piloting his way to NASA, Jared Isaacman.
Image credit: Jared Isaacman
Back in early December 2024, Isaacman “X-tolled” President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Administrator of NASA. “Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history,” he posted.
A February 18 communiqué from the nominee had him flying himself back to Washington, D.C. to “continue NASA confirmation prep” that night. “I am grateful to President Trump for this chance to give back to the nation that enabled me to live the American dream.”
Image credit: White House
Work in progress
Meanwhile, the ongoing steps taken by President Trump’s administration to transform and reduce in size the federal workforce is work in progress.
The topsy-turvy action plan includes the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory group to modernize and perk up the effectiveness of the federal government. DOGE is led by billionaire Elon Musk, the SpaceX chief rocketeer, with DOGE seen by some as controversial and confusing.
NASA’s Acting Administrator, Janet Petro, has requested space agency employees “to lean into this opportunity” as the DOGE seeks to maximize efficiencies. She is a former director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Image credit: NASA
Travel allowance
So Isaacman’s confirmation to get decision-making underway at NASA appears to be urgent.
SpaceX Starships exploding, Artemis rebooting of the Moon plans pending, Mars sample return decision-making, Earth climate change investigation, as well as other NASA agenda items in flux – things are stacking up.
On March 12, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session to consider nominations and legislation – but as of this writing, an appearance by Isaacman is not listed as there’s need to hold a nomination hearing before voting on whether to confirm him.
Go to:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/3/executive-session-7
In that upcoming Executive Session, along with other lawmaker Acts — such as a Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025 and a Romance Scam Prevention Act — Cruz is to back his Astronaut Ground Travel Support Act. That legislation would provide transportation of government astronauts before they receive medical clearance to drive.
Perhaps the Act might have a proviso to move Isaacman into NASA’s driver’s seat in short-order?
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Enter the “wait-a-minute” world of space stations.
Early this morning I saw the International Space Station slip across my Colorado mountain skyline.
I waved, but I don’t think they saw me.
But I did ponder the early demise of this huge human outpost in Earth orbit.
Incremental utility?
“It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the Space Station,” recently explained SpaceX chief rocketeer Elon Musk on an X posting.
Sprawling but aging International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA
“It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars,” Musk said. “The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible. I recommend two years from now,” Musk advised.
SpaceX has a NASA contract to junk the orbiting outpost into the ocean in coming years.
SpaceX-provided deorbiting of the International Space Station under NASA contract.
Image credit: SpaceX
Inclination “eternal”
But no need to worry. The Russian’s will soon fill the missing in action ISS void.
The first module of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) is being prepared for hurling into polar orbit in less than three years.
Projected Russian orbiting station.
Image credit: Roscosmos/Inside Outer Space screengrab
That’s the word from RSC Energia’s Ilya Zheleznov, a lead engineer in the ROS design department.
In a recent Pro Kosmos interview, Zheleznov said that ROS will become the base for assembling and sending ships into deep space. The high orbital inclination of ROS will not only allow advancement in the development of radiation protection, but its modular design will extend the service life indefinitely.
“It could be eternal,” Zheleznov advised.
Image credit: Roscosmos/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Nose-dive
To nose-dive into the International Space Station discussion, go to:
NASA Responds to Musk Statements about Deorbiting ISS, Butch and Suni by space policy analyst Marcia Smith at:
Also, go to:
Ocean experts raise concerns over deorbiting the International Space Station at:
https://spacenews.com/ocean-experts-raise-concerns-over-deorbiting-the-international-space-station/
Lastly, check out the informative Pro Kosmos interview (in Russian) with Ilya Zheleznov at:
https://vkvideo.ru/video-219699195_456241129?ref_domain=prokosmos.ru
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Glad to be on the January 10th episode of This Week In Space podcast: Episode 143 — King Starship – Will 2025 be SpaceX’s Game-Changing Year?
This episode comes fully-equipped with details on the upcoming flight of the SpaceX Starship on its 7th test flight…and what next? I join made-in-space colleagues, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik as we look into the space crystal ball.
Go to:
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Are we moving closer to the day of “downing” Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), often tied to UFOs?
In the lexicon of what’s up in the sky that has become unidentifiable, there’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and also “drones.”
Whatever is up with the wave of sky sightings, are there any lessons learned here to unravel today’s growing call for “Full Disclosure.”
Up close and personal! Scene from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers circa 1956.
Credit: Columbia Pictures
That mantra is in vogue and encompasses super-secret U.S. aerial activity and hush-hush classified technology. Then there are the fighter jet pilots that have filmed UAP. And what about the far more traditional claim of close encounters with alien vehicles and even out-of-control crashes of flying saucers?
It’s a wait-a-minute moment for sure.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Dec. 19 briefing. Image credit: Senior Airman Madelyn Keech
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Drone busters
Word is that counter drone systems have begun to be deployed in New Jersey, a hotbed of activity and public bewilderment. There have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space.
The now in the field anti-drone gear exhibits active and passive detection capabilities as well as other capabilities, namely serving as “drone busters” that basically disrupt signals and affects the ability of these systems to fly.
That’s the word from Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon Press Secretary, during a December 19th press briefing.
Ryder said that the bottom line is that if our forces, our commanders observe UAS activity that they believe represents a threat, “they have the authority to conduct mitigation operations based on the capability at their location,” Ryder said. One of those capabilities, he added, could be the non-kinetic, interruption of signals, for example.
Image credit: Statista
Harmonize efforts
Military personnel are going to protect and defend the nation, said Ryder, in order to protect facilities or mitigate potential threats.
Ryder said that U.S. military is working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as we as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to harmonize efforts.
Earlier in the week, the FAA noted that there are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States. Moreover, there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day.
“With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time,” the FAA explained.
Image credit: U.S. Homeland Defense
Sightings to date
Given more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating a number of these reports.
“We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers,” said the FAA.
Sightings to date, the FAA explained, “include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.”
Image credit: Yannick Peings, Marik von Rennenkampff/AIAA
However, the FAA is urging Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.
Who you gonna call?
All of this is sure to fan the flames of Deep State secrecy, be it UFOs, UAPs, drones, UAV, and UAS.
Put in the blender that the government is here to help sort all this out.
Sure, the truth may be out there, but clearly there’s need for a reality check.
Mental musical recollection: “If there’s something strange in your neighborhood…if there’s something weird and it don’t look good…who you gonna call?”
What’s your view?
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Stand by for NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and space agency leadership today to offer a briefing about the Artemis “re-booting” of the Moon campaign. The NASA news conference is at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, Dec. 5, from the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Sure to be highlighted and brought up by heavy-breathing reporters is the current status of the Orion heat shield and reported “root cause” findings about the heat shield’s unexpected problems that cropped up during the uncrewed Artemis I mission in December 2022.
Image credit: NASA OIG
Participants in the briefing include:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
- NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
- Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander
- Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
Mars on the mind
Given the Moon to Mars NASA agenda, the current status of the space agency’s sample plan for the Red Planet is likely to be discussed.
Now in limbo and sanity check status due to budget-busting problems, along with how and when the robotic outing to Mars can be scheduled, the NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return (MSR) is in revision mode.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Industry, NASA and other agencies have been diving into MSR details of how to pull off the undertaking. Where this stands at the moment is likely to also be brought up during the press event.
Crosshairs and crossroads
Lastly, the recent National Academies study of NASA’s overall health may surface. The prestigious National Academies has taken a hard look at the NASA of today and what’s ahead.
That report was titled “NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades.”
It details out-of-date infrastructure, pressures to prioritize short-term objectives, budget mismatches, inefficient management practices, and nonstrategic reliance on commercial partners are spotlighted as core issues needing attention.
So hold on tight and tune in via NASA+ at:
https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/nasa-artemis-campaign-leadership-news-conference/
Meanwhile, take a read of my past postings on these NASA issues:
Artemis II: Orion Heat Shield Issues – Decision Forthcoming
https://www.leonarddavid.com/artemis-ii-orion-heat-shield-issues-decision-forthcoming/
NASA at a Crossroads: Hard-hitting Report Flags Budget Woes, Aging Infrastructure, Hard Choices Ahead
Also, check out this just-out evolution of Mars exploration video at:
https://youtu.be/9rJ4vWDfiI8?si=CWPwMU-cPOK7LAVm
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
High-speed return from lunar distance, the thermal protection system of Orion’s crew module must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe. Measuring 16.5 feet in diameter, Orion’s heat shield is the largest of its kind developed for missions carrying astronauts.
Image credit: NASA
NASA remains in an ongoing test mode to determine what’s behind the ablative thermal protective material that chipped away unexpectedly from the Artemis 1 Orion heat shield during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere back on December 11, 2022.
The Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 25.5-day mission.
During the high-speed, 25,000 miles per hour return from lunar distance, the thermal protection system of Orion’s crew module must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe. Measuring 16.5 feet in diameter, Orion’s heat shield is the largest of its kind developed for missions carrying astronauts.
Orion heat shield features ablative material, called Avcoat.
Image credit: Lockheed Martin
Root cause
But in a post-flight analysis of the Artemis 1 heat shield, NASA identified more than 100 locations where ablative thermal protective material was liberated during its speedy reentry.
Work to determine the root cause did conclude last summer, said NASA’s Lori Glaze Deputy Associate Administrator (Acting) Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
Speaking October 29 at the Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group being held in Houston, Texas, Glaze did not say what root cause was uncovered.
However, Glaze said that additional testing is ongoing before any final determination is made. That testing will conclude by the end of November, then provided to NASA chief, Bill Nelson, for a final decision.
Arc Jet Complex at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley has been used to study unexpected heat shield issues found after Orion capsule’s Artemis I flight in 2022.
Image credit: NASA Ames Research Center
Artemis II
Meanwhile, NASA is moving forward on readying the Artemis II hardware to support hurling a four-person crew to sojourn out beyond the Moon, then return to Earth.
The Artemis II crew is to depart Earth no earlier than September 2025 on a 10-day trek.
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
In classic “wait a minute” style, a NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report was issued in May of this year – “NASA’s Readiness for the Artemis II Crewed Mission to Lunar Orbit” – calling attention to this issue and others before sending off the first human crew toward the Moon since 1972 – the Apollo 17 mission.
Image credit: NASA OIG
To ensure the safety of the crewed Artemis II mission, the OIG report recommended the Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate to ensure the root cause of Orion heat shield char liberation is well understood prior to launch of the Artemis II mission.
The OIG report called for analysis of Orion separation bolts using updated models that account for char loss, design modifications, and operational changes to Orion prior to the Artemis II launch.
The report by the NASA OIG also notes that “human space flight by its very nature is inherently risky, and the Artemis campaign is no exception. We urge NASA leadership to continue balancing the achievement of its mission objectives and schedule with prioritizing the safety of its astronauts and to take the time needed to avoid any undue risk.”
Engineers and technicians conduct inspections of the heat shield on the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/Skip Williams
Avcoat changes
The heat shield features the same ablative material called Avcoat used in Apollo lunar outings and return-to-Earth missions. However, the building process has changed, according to Lockheed Martin that fashioned Orion’s thermal protection system.
“Instead of having workers fill 300,000 honeycomb cells one by one with ablative material, then heat-cure the material and machine it to the proper shape, the team now manufactures Avcoat blocks – just fewer than 200 – that are pre-machined to fit into their positions and bonded in place on the heat shield’s carbon fiber skin,” the aerospace firm’s website explains. That process is a timesaver in putting on the Avcoat – about a quarter of the time.
So here’s the lingering and nagging question: Is it possible that changes in the Avcoat may be needed? If so, that decision would seemingly necessitate de-coupling the heat shield from the Artemis II Orion capsule.
Credit: Lockheed Martin
Heat shield hiccups
When the heat shield issue first came to light, Inside Outer Space contacted the Orion program office at NASA Johnson Space Center for comment regarding the heat shield hiccups.
“During Artemis I post-flight inspection, engineers observed variations of Avcoat material across the appearance of Orion’s heat shield. Some areas of expected charred material ablated away differently than computer modeling and ground testing predicted, and there was slightly more liberation of the charred material during re-entry than anticipated,” the program office stated.
“We expect the material to ablate with the 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit the spacecraft encounters on a re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, and to see charring of the material through a chemical reaction, but we didn’t expect the small pieces that came off, versus being ablated,” the NASA statements adds.
Healthy margin
“We don’t know yet exactly how much was liberated, which is why we’re analyzing the data, but there was a healthy margin remaining of virgin Avcoat, and temperature data inside the cabin remained at expected levels, so if crew were on board they would not have been in danger,” explains the program office statement.
Image credit: NASA OIG
“It’s still too early in our testing and analysis to arrive at any potential recommendations or solutions that address additional char liberation,” NASA responded. “It’s possible the phenomenon may just [be] part of what the heat shield is, and what we would expect as we return from the Moon, but we’ll let the data inform us.”
Lastly, the NASA Orion program office stated: “We’ll continue to protect for variations that could happen during re-entry as we want to ensure we have significant margin against the various types of uncertainties that might occur as the spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere. Our teams want the confidence that we have the best heat shield possible to fly humans going forward.”
In double-checking with the NASA Orion program office today, Inside Outer Space was advised “we have not made any decisions yet, but NASA will provide an update on our plans after the completion of the investigation, and we have determined a forward path.”
Earlier reporting
In earlier reporting, here’s my take on the situation, as posted on Space.com:
“NASA still investigating Orion heat shield issues from Artemis 1 moon mission” at:
https://www.space.com/nasa-investigate-orion-heat-shield-artemis-1-mission
For a full read of the NASA OIG report, go to:
https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ig-24-011.pdf
For an informative Lockheed Martin video on Orion’s re-entry, go to:
