The launch of the Artemis I mission in November was amazing, and the performance of NASA's Orion has been flawless ever since. There is no reason to believe that Orion won't come down in calm seas off the California coast.
A promise that humans will fly in deep space again was made by this exploration mission. When can we expect an encore?
A follow-up to Artemis I is not likely to happen for at least two years. The Artemis II mission will probably not happen before early 2025, but NASA is not giving up hope of launching humans into deep space in 2024.
It might seem odd that there is a long gap. The Space Launch System rocket demonstrated its ability after it flew in November. The calculations of engineers who designed and built the heat shield will be vindicated if the spaceship returns safely. Should it take more than two years to finish building a second rocket and craft and complete the certification of life support systems inside the spaceship?
The answer is no and the reason for the long gap is ridiculous. About eight years ago, a decision was made to plug a $100 million budget hole. Artemis II is unlikely to fly before 2025 due to eight relatively small flight computers.
Mark Kirasich, who was NASA's program manager for Orion when the decision was made, said in an interview that it's "Orion this time holding us up." I'm going to bring up the back. It is part of my legacies.
AdvertisementSenior officials at NASA and the main contractor needed to fill a budget hole. At the time, NASA was spending a lot of money on the project, and there were still challenges to be overcome.
At the time, NASA's exploration plans were vastly different than they are now. The "Journey to Mars" was a part of the project. There wasn't a clear-cut plan on how to get there.
The original version of the SLS rocket, known as "Block 1," was only going to be flown once. The agency planned to make a version of the rocket known as Block 1B after this initial mission. Modifications to the rocket's launch tower were needed because this variant was taller and more powerful. After the initial SLS launch, it would take nearly three years for the tower to be reconstructed and tested.
It was possible that the planners could reuse parts from the first flight of their spaceship. They focused on a suite of two dozen boxes that are part of the electronics system that operates the communications, navigation, display, and flight control systems. It would take about two years to re-certify.
The $100 million budget hole was closed by not having to build two dozen avionics boxes. They had almost a year to spare while work was being done on the tower.
Kirasich said that the decision was a budget one. At the time, the launch dates were different.
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