This capability makes the arc jet test facility unique in the world, but it still cannot fully reproduce the stresses a spacecraft's heat shield experiences during reentry. There are some things you don't know until you fly, Victor Glover, pilot of the Artemis II mission, said in an interview with Ars earlier this year.
File photo of arc jet tests of a spacecraft heat shield at the Ames Research Center.
Credit: NASA
“What we are doing now is assessing what the right approach is for Artemis II, with regard to the heat shield,” Glaze said on Monday. “We know what needs to be done for future missions, but the Artemis II heat shield has already been built. So how can we ensure astronaut safety with Artemis II?”
This will be the second major safety decision NASA will make this year, following the agency's choice to complete the first piloted test flight of Boeing's commercial crew capsule without astronauts in the cockpit. Instead, the capsule's two-person crew was left behind on the International Space Station after NASA managers became uncomfortable with malfunctions in Starliner's propulsion system.
They don't say that
Glaze said Monday at a meeting of lunar scientists that NASA wants to complete additional testing before finally deciding what to do with Artemis II. The final decision, she said, will be made by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“We expect additional testing to be completed by the end of November and then we expect discussions with the administrator who will make the final decision on how to proceed,” Glaze said. “I know we all want more information faster, earlier and better. We are moving it as quickly as we can, and decisions will follow.”
An attendee at the lunar science meeting in Houston asked Glaze if she could share the cause of the heat shield erosion. “I'm not going to share it now,” she replied. “If it comes out, it will all come out together.”
Ars also asked a NASA spokesperson for details about the cause. The spokesperson confirmed that the agency has determined the root cause, but declined to identify the cause, saying the information is “under review” as officials map out the path forward for Artemis II. The spokesperson reiterated Hawkins' statement that NASA will release more information before the end of the year.
