After it successfully launched the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as part of the Artemis 1 mission last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared more than three dozen anomalies that the rocket, the spacecraft and associated systems faced during the flight. The SLS rocket took off in November last year after multiple delays related to its fuel. It is currently the world's most powerful operational rocket, and the Artemis 1 flight was a test mission that evaluated both the rocket and its spacecraft before certifying them for a crewed mission that is slated to take place next year.
NASA Left Incorrect Exposure Settings On Nearly All High Speed Film Cameras On Ground Systems For First SLS Launch
The list of anomalies that were faced by the SLS rocket, its ground systems, the upper stage Orion spacecraft and other systems was shared by NASA with The Launch Pad Network in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. It outlines a total of 37 anomalies on the different systems, and most of these are for the Orion spacecraft and the ground systems.
Rocket systems are made of thousands of components, so 37 anomalies are a small amount when compared to the number of things that can go wrong in a mission. The Orion performed quite well during the Artemis 1 mission, with NASA being left impressed particularly with its power generation capabilities. At the same time, other systems, such as some circuit breakers, developed problems as the ship journeyed around the Moon and back. Some of the problems with the Orion came with its valves, sensors and pressure regulation units.
The launch tower for the SLS rocket generated quite a bit of controversy after the Artemis 1 mission, as multiple media reports showed the extent of damage to the pad. The aftermath of the flight saw NASA engineers and technicians climb hundreds of steps on the tower to gauge the damage and make repairs after its elevators were damaged due to the launch.
ARTEMIS I - IN FLIGHT ANOMALIES@NASA has released the full list of In Flight Anomalies (IFAs) from the #Artemis1 mission to TLP Network via a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Exploration Ground Systems (EGS)
- ECS ICPS/AFT Purge System Anomaly
- Artemis I Post Launch… pic.twitter.com/GkyuXPkxNG— The Launch Pad (@TLPN_Official) September 13, 2023
One of the more interesting anomalies on the ground systems is for the high speed cameras. The list shared by NASA shows that out of the 33 high speed cameras on the systems, 32 had incorrect exposure settings. In photography, exposure is the amount of light that is captured by a camera's sensor, and given the light from a rocket's engine, which blinds out everything else in the vicinity, these settings are crucial to capture a launch and ensure that no details are missed. Other camera problems include incorrect frame settings and one of the cameras going out of order before launch.
Moving to the rocket, the star of the show, NASA reported seven anomalies. These include loss of communications with a sensor system that reports propellant temperatures, "unexpected debris" on a plug that prevents contaminants from entering an engine's combustion chamber from under the rocket and vibrations throughout the rocket in several components, such as those between the tanks and the flight termination system that is responsible for destroying it in flight if the vehicle threatens life or safety on Earth.
Since last year's flight, NASA has rolled out the launch tower for the Artemis 2 mission to the pad, installed the first engine on the SLS rocket for the second mission and even conducted a dress rehearsal of the astronauts to simulate their preflight preparations. As part of the preflight preparations, the astronauts donned their suits, drove to the launch tower and took the elevator to the crew access arm from which they will board Orion for their maiden journey to the Moon.
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