After fears that it might require disassembly, Lockheed Martin has completed work on the Artemis I Orion spacecraft and has formally transferred possession to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The transfer of the next Orion Spacecraft to NASA on January 15, 2021 is significant because only a few weeks ago there were fears that the Artemis I mission might be significantly delayed or even cancelled.
In November 2020, during final assembly and transfer, a malfunction was discovered in one of eight power and data units (PDU) on the crew module adapter. According to NASA, one of two redundant channels in one of two communications cards in the affected PDU had ceased working. This was a major problem because, though replacing the electronics card is relatively easy, getting to it would require dismantling the spacecraft, which it is not designed for.
Because the Artemis I mission will carry no astronauts and the spacecraft has a high degree of redundancy, the space agency announced on December 17 that the faulty PDU would be left in place and the mission would rely on the backup systems.
Now that the Orion has been transferred to NASA, the EGS team will carry out the final preparations, which include moving it from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy to other facilities at the Space Center for loading with propellants, helium, nitrogen, and ammonia before being integrated into the launch abort system and protective ogive fairing.
After final fueling and assembly, the Orion spacecraft will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Facility, where it will be hoisted atop the SLS booster rocket in preparation for its flight later this year, which will send it around the Moon and then back to Earth for a splashdown recovery. The purpose of the mission is to certify the spacecraft, ground systems, and rocket for human spaceflight, clearing the way for the crewed circumlunar Artemis II mission.
"Orion is a unique and impressive spacecraft and the team did an outstanding job to get us to this day," says Mike Hawes, Orion vice president and program manager for Lockheed Martin. "The launch and flight of Artemis I will be an impressive sight, but more importantly it will confirm Orion is ready to safely carry humans to the Moon and back home. This tremendous advancement opens the door to a new era of deep space exploration that will ultimately benefit us back here on Earth."
Source: Lockheed Martin
