This night, NASA held a media occasion to supply an replace on the most recent developments for an Artemis 1 launch try on November 16. Jeremy Parson, EGS Program deputy supervisor, and Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1 mission supervisor offered an image of a launch automobile that is able to finish the 50 yr hiatus of NASA exploring past low-Earth orbit.
Jeremy Parson started the press briefing by noting that the launch workforce was on consoles at 1:24 AM EDT, Nov. 14. He additionally stated that all the things going properly and that the launch countdown is on schedule.
Mike Sarafin adopted Parson within the briefing. He famous that there was a launch -1 day MMT assembly that lasted for 1 ½ hours and was major centered on two particular points attributable to Nicole. The LH2 electrical connection cable and the climate striping on Orion spacecraft.
Parson started his a part of the briefing by gaving an replace of what has occurred for the reason that Artemis 1 mission administration workforce’s, or MMT’s, convention on the night of Nov. 13.
On Nov. 13, the Artemis 1 automobile was powered-up and a sequence of program particular engineering exams, or PSET’s, which is principally built-in automobile testing. A radical check-out of the automobile was accomplished and all the things is trying good. On the cellular launch platform (MLP), crews are getting panels and valves all prepared for cryo loading. The sound suppression and ignition over-pressure tank full of water. And energy was brought-up on Orion, ICPS, and Core Stage and they’re going to stay powered by means of launch countdown.
Going ahead with what to anticipate tonight and tomorrow, starting with Monday night time. Crews will start to cost all of the flight batteries on the automobile. Pressurizing the Core Stage composite over-wrap strain vessels can be accomplished. There can be last walk-downs Monday night time and into Tuesday morning. The launch workforce will conduct a sequence of comm. check-out’s with Orion.
For tomorrow, the schedule picks up:
12:04 PM EST, Decide-up with blast hazard space clear.
1:14 PM, Air to GN2 switch-over.
2:04 PM, Clear-out launch hazard space for all personnel.
2:24 PM (T-6:40), New built-in maintain.
3:24 PM, Launch Director offers a go, no-go for cryo loading.
The brand new built-in maintain is similar built-in maintain that beforehand lasted 2:30 however with an hour added in for cryo loading idea of operations modifications. That is the “Kinder Gentler Cryo Loading” idea that NASA’s cryo loading workforce adopted from that utilized by the Stennis of us in fueling-up the SLS Core Stage for its Inexperienced Run. An hour was added to do a slower, extra light loading of cryo, starting with 17-20 min for LH2 chill-down and adopted by 32 minutes for fast-fill. Parson additionally stated that LOX and LH2 loading now being performed in parallel.
The launch window, or T 0, is at 1:04 AM Nov. 16, Wednesday and there’s a 2-hour launch window.
Turning to the 2 points on the Artemis 1 automobile on account of Hurricane Nicole, through the storm indicators going by means of {the electrical} cable on the MLP tail service mast liquid hydrogen umbilical began having transient, or transient, points.
At a top-level, what the launch workforce has been seeing with the LH2 umbilical electrical cable are measurement transients throughout power-up that may exit of anticipated ranges for a bit bit when first powering-up after which come again all the way down to nominal ranges. The Artemis 1 launch automobile is already in a powered-up configuration with Orion, ICPS, and Core Stage, so all of those are at a traditional, secure configuration. Nonetheless, the workforce went by means of the launch commit standards which can be related to the measurements to find out criticality, redundancy, and pre-planned contingency procedures, which principally permits the workforce to take failures on these measurements realizing that there are redundancy on these measurements and might proceed to launch. There’s redundant information coming throughout that interface from the rocket and spacecraft to the ground-side.
The workforce charged with engaged on the LH2 umbilical electrical cable started working late final Sunday night time to the MLP tail service mast to change-out the LH2 electrical cable and carried out a sequence of wring-out exams on that cable. When that didn’t appear to treatment the “momentary transient indicators” points that solely happen on power-up, the bottom recepticle aspect, positioned on the again of the LH2 tail service mast umbilical plate, was changed-out, adopted by a sequence of retests. That didn’t resolve the problem. Nonetheless, the Mission Administration Group, echoing feedback within the earlier night time’s briefing, believes that these points don’t violate a launch commit standards.
The workforce working this, in line with Parson, “… did a extremely good job wringed-out all the information figuring out the chance posture, taking a look at all measurements going by means of there, the place redundancy happens, and what launch commit standards are related to them.” Tonight, the J8 connector on the Core Stage can be changed-out, to be adopted by exams.
Throughout right this moment’s Mission Administration Group assembly, the standing of the LH2 umbilical electrical connector positioned on the J8 port was reviewed. The MMT when by means of the standing of the removing and substitute and the work that was accomplished and any findings because of that; the publish removing and replacements programs standing checks. There are not any modifications within the posture as they head into the launch try. The launch commit standards had been reviewed and the workforce agreed that the as-written launch commit standards had been the suitable posture to have heading into the following launch try. That’s largely as a result of there may be a variety of programs redundancy because it pertains to the indicators which can be wanted to be verified as a part of the launch commit.
The unanimous suggestion of the workforce was that it was in a great place to proceed with launch countdown with the measurements it has, which was primarily based on the criticality and redundancy posture that they’ve. They suppose they’ve a extremely sturdy system with the variety of measurements in different areas.
Requested when he would possibly really feel a way of reduction, Parsons stated that the burden can be lifted from his shoulders when fast-fill of LH2 begins and doesn’t trigger hassle. The work performed through the cryo loading check on September 21 led to a variety of understanding of what’s going on on the LH2 4” and eight” quick-disconnects that connect to the bottom of the launch automobile. The cryo workforce is extra assured that even that the loading procedures will work, that they know the way to load LH2 whereas placing the least quantity of strain on the seals of the 4” and eight” LH2 quick-disconnects. There’s a purge can round every of the quick-disconnects that’s repeatedly flooded with helium and accommodates hazardous fuel measurements coming by means of that space. Launch necessities enable for “momentary transients”, or small spike, of LH2 leakage of hydrogen to concentrations of as much as 10% as LH2 strain will increase within the umbilical as long as that leak is for less than a small period of time. In the course of the cryo tanking check, there was a momentary spike of LH2 as much as a focus of 10% when the strain within the LH2 umbilical elevated from 2 psi, nevertheless it rapidly got here down. That the problem didn’t final leaves Parson with a fairly good feeling that issues are dialed-in.
The one open motion that was taken out of the launch -2 day overview pertains to the Orion RTV materials delaminating seen throughout Hurricane Nicole on the east-side of the automobile, or roughly the 270 diploma mark within the Orion coordinates, on the Orion automobile’s aerodynamic shell, or ogive (pronounced “o-jive”), the place it meets up with crew module adapter. There was a ten foot lengthy strip of the RTV delaminated through the storm.
The aim of that RTV materials is to fill the hole that exists between the LAS ogive and the crew module adapter. There’s a small space the place the 2 meetup the place there may be an aerodynamic barrier that would trigger a little bit of air circulation underneath the LAS ogive on account of turbulent stream because the Artemis 1 automobile ascends that would lead to aerodynamic heating. To get rid of that small hole, the RTV materials is put in to create a flush, streamlined, aerodynamic floor.
There’s a small chance, better than non-zero, that extra RTV comes-off of the automobile throughout ascent. At a high degree, the “threat posture” hasn’t elevated. The Mission Administration workforce believes it has a robust flight rationale to assist that time. To have an antagonistic occasion in flight, extra RTV wants to return off that impacts the a part of the launch automobile, that a part of the automobile must expertise “crucial harm”, and there are restricted elements that might be uncovered to that due the particles transport and their location to the place the RTV can be liberated.
The RTV is prone to tear-off, breaking-off in smaller items. RTV materials could be very pliable and has a low-lift coefficient aerodynamically. There was a witness pattern within the MMT assembly right this moment that was 12” lengthy. The fabric could be very skinny, lightweight, and really pliable. NASA has a variety of expertise with this RTV materials, which has been flown on many earlier automobile, together with Exploration Check Flight 1 in 2014 and Ascent Abort Check 2 in 2019. RTV materials was put in in a really related space in these check flights and materials within the interface of the LAS ogive and crew module adapter was not seen to liberate throughout aerodynamic flight.
The one time frame the place there may be an publicity to have sufficient power the place the mass of any RTV that had been break-off and comply with a really particular trajectory and influence the automobile downstream is within the Mach 2-3.5 vary, or 80-100 seconds in flight. That’s the slender window of publicity the place the rocket is accelerating quick sufficient however there may be sufficient ambiance to slow-down something coming off the automobile sufficient that there’s peak influence power.
The more than likely space that RTV would possibly influence is on the launch automobile stage adapter, or LVSA. There have been considerations about areas of the inside stable rocket boosters, the bottom of the boosters, and cable trays that run alongside each the ICPS and Core Stage.
The LVSA is a tall, conical characteristic that sits on between the highest of the SLS Core Stage and the bottom of the ICPS. It takes the diameter of the Orion spacecraft and extends it out to the diameter of the SLS Core Stage.
The LVSA is a really sturdy piece of {hardware}. It weighs about 10,000 lbs and is used to translate the 8.8M lb of thrust at lift-off of the boosters and Core Stage’s 4 RS-25’s into the ICPS, which at 45 ft weighs 71,605 lbs, and Orion spacecraft stack, which itself is 67 ft and weighs-in at 72,000 lbs. It’s an inert piece of {hardware}–it doesn’t have gasoline, avionics, or different mission crucial {hardware}, and performs solely a structural position.
An extra space that might be impacted is the inside areas of the stable boosters subsequent to the Core Stage. The danger of this was thought-about average relative to the LVSA.
The Core Stage and the ICPS had been thought-about low-risk. The at-risk areas for each the ICPS and Core Stage had been the programs tunnels, that are small aerodynamic protrusions the place cables are run for communications.
The stable rocket boosters had been thought-about a average threat on account of particular areas the place there are separation motors on the very base of every booster.
Yesterday, when the Mission Administration Group met, there was a overview of the standing of that delamination and the chance of a reoccurance throughout flight. The MMT determined at the moment that it wanted a bit extra time to overview the flight rationale. The launch workforce got here again with a flight rationale primarily based on a confirmed methodology termed, “The Seven Parts of Good Flight Rationale”. The MMT appeared throughout the complete automobile stack, from the Orion spacecraft to the bottom of the stack, and the MMT agreed that the chance was bounded by present hazards–there are different recognized particles sources and hazards–and hazards experiences the workforce had that had been established properly earlier than the company flight readiness overview.
Mission Lack of Car: 1/125 (0.008) might develop by better than two decimal factors on account of Hurricane Nicole, nonetheless, Launch Commit Standards (LCC’s), of which there are 489, haven’t modified because of the hurricane.
Mission Supervisor Sarafin requested the Mission Administration Group members if there have been any dissenting opinions, there have been none, and the flight rationale of leaving the lacking RTV materials was accepted.
There are 10 cubesats positioned within the Orion Stage Adapter. 4 of the cubesats had their batteries topped-odd when the Artemis 1 automobile was within the Car Meeting Constructing (VAB). There’s one cubesat with a science mission to map the lunar volatiles that has a low cost on its battery which will influence its capacity to perform its mission. The remaining 5 cubesats have sufficient cost to final their full mission length and achieve their missions.
There are three manikins positioned within the Orion spacecraft that by way of mass the identical as an precise crew member, leaving the spacecraft one crew member gentle. There are mass simulators and scientific and know-how demonstration payloads on the Orion spacecraft to simulate the meals and different consumables, tools, and kit that may be on a lunar mission.
Additionally positioned throughout the Orion spacecraft are lively and passive radiation dosimeters to tell the flight setting that astronauts will expertise because the Orio spacecraft leaves low-Earth orbit to deep area. Because the Orion spacecraft transits from low-Earth orbit, by means of the Van Allen radiation belts the place there are concentrations of areas of deep area radiation, and into deep area the place there isn’t any shelter from deep area radiation resembling that supplied by the Van Allen radiation belts. The Orion spacecraft will then upon return transit by means of the Van Allen radiation belts earlier than rendering the Earth’s ambiance and splashing-down.
One final payload is the zero-G indicator, Astro Snoopy, in partnership with the Schultz Basis, who’ve been staunch advocates of the nation’s area program. The Silver Snoopy is awarded for flight security.
Tidbit: The Orion spacecraft mass will go from 72,000 lbs on launch to 58,000 upon LAS jettison, to 12,000 lbs on splashdown.
The MMT is continuing to the following choice gate to set-up for the Nov. 16 launch try and there’s no change to aim the Artemis 1 launch at that date. The MMT is snug launching with the recognized points.
There are three buckets of standards that would change a launch try from go to no-go. There are the launch commit standards which can be the 489 LCC technical must-meet standards, climate standards, and vary security standards.
The subsequent choice gate for the Mission Administration Group happens on Nov. 15 at 2:30 EST with the start of tanking of LH2 and LOX.
