The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a comprehensive investigation into the unexpected performance of the Orion spacecraft’s heatshield during the uncrewed Artemis I mission. The mission, which marked a pivotal milestone in NASA’s return to lunar exploration, successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on November 16, 2022, and concluded with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022.
While the mission was deemed a success, post-flight inspections revealed anomalies in the spacecraft’s thermal protection system. The heatshield, constructed from Avcoat—a specialized ablative material designed to withstand the extreme 5000ºF temperatures of atmospheric re-entry—exhibited unexpected material loss. Specifically, over 100 locations on the heatshield were identified where the charred Avcoat material had chipped away.
To address these concerns, NASA’s Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has assembled a team of subject matter experts from both within and outside the agency. This specialized team is collaborating with the Orion Program team to investigate the root cause of the heatshield’s performance issues. The NESC’s efforts span multiple domains, including multi-physics analysis, material testing, aeroscience review, and nondestructive evaluation (NDE). The team is also exploring alternative heatshield concepts to enhance performance for future missions.
A key component of the investigation involves a detailed fault tree and root cause analysis to map potential contributing factors. The NESC is working closely with the Artemis I Char Loss Team to ensure the anomalies are thoroughly understood before the spacecraft is cleared for upcoming crewed missions. NESC contributions have included developing innovative NDE techniques for post-flight inspection, analyzing critical Avcoat material properties, and providing foundational inputs for fault tree development.
The findings from this investigation will play a crucial role in shaping the design and performance of thermal protection systems for future Artemis missions, which are integral to NASA’s vision of sustained human exploration on the Moon and beyond.
Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses, underscoring NASA’s commitment to mission safety and reliability in its ambitious Artemis program.
Reference: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/nesc/nesc-assists-in-heatshield-investigation/
