The story that's taking over headlines this week is the Artemis II launch this week. I've noticed it not just on the space news sites I watch regularly but also on TV news channels. While I'm certain that the Cape is working actively on preparing for the mission, I haven't seen the words "the countdown has begun" - or the same meaning. But let me drop a quote from Space.com: " 'We are ready': NASA still on track to launch Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon April 1."
The launch window opens Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 PM, staying open for two hours, and there are more launch windows until April 6th. NASA conducted a Flight Readiness Review back on March 20th before the rollback to the pad and no issues came up then - or have come up since then - that are threatening the schedule.
"Since that time, all of our operations have been going very smoothly," Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said during a mission status update on Sunday (March 29). "Our flight systems are ready, the ground systems are ready, our launch and operations teams are ready, and our flight operations team in Houston are also ready. The crew arrived yesterday, and I know that they're ready – they are more than ready."
"There are little things that we find as we go that we're working right there, but none of them are threatening the first right now," Glaze said.
At the moment, the only known risk is a 20% chance of the weather exceeding limits for cumulus clouds.
NASA astronaut and Artemis 2 Mission Specialist Christina Koch introduces the
crew’s zero-g indicator, ‘Rise’, which is hoisted in the air by NASA astronaut
and Artemis 2 Commander Reid Wiseman. The other two crew members, Canadian
Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (left) and
NASA astronaut and Pilot Victor Glover (right), will join Koch and Wiseman on
the ten day mission around the Moon and back. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight
Now
The idea of carrying a soft toy as a zero-g indicator is a recent goofy joke story - I don't really recall the first time I heard of one, but I can think of seeing the term used for a while. It's a zero-g indicator in the same way everything is. If you hold it out at arm's length, let go of it and it doesn't fall, just floating there, you're in zero-G microgravity, and if it falls you're not.
Please, let's have an on-schedule, safe and uneventful flight.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Pray for boring. A boring mission would be the best outcome.
DeleteYeah. Sure. I'm putting money on 'delays' and 'postponements' over 'launches on time.'
ReplyDeleteStill want it to go well. And safely.
Or if something doesn't go well, we get the astronauts back.
Alive.
DeleteI wonder how much that zeroG indicator cost?
ReplyDeleteRR Dave@729:
ReplyDeleteDepends on if NASA had to ask for bids or if somebody said "Here's a ten out of petty cash. Take a long lunch hour and get something". At least it probably doesn't have any failure modes.
Um, why does the crew have name tags? Can they not remember each other's names. Or worse, their own?
"Um, why does the crew have name tags? Can they not remember each other's names."
DeleteI think NASA has used name tags since the Project Mercury days as part of their historical ties to the military. Back when all astronauts were former test pilots. They've used them so long, I'd guess name tags are just expected.
So much of the reporting is on the risks of the launch and the flight. The re-entry is the untested risk.
ReplyDelete"The re-entry is the untested risk."
DeleteNot the only one. As I understand it, the entire life support system, cabin air supply, filtration and all, has never been flown. I'm pretty sure that's what the first day in orbit is centered on, because if it doesn't work they can't do the translunar injection engine burn.