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NASA’s Artemis Program Advances with Human Landing Systems Testing
The Artemis initiative by NASA is set to utilize human landing systems developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin for effective transportation of astronauts to and from the Moon’s surface. This operation is not only crucial for Moon landings but also serves as a preparatory step for manned missions to Mars. As the landing crafts approach the lunar surface, the exhaust emitted will interact with the upper layer of the Moon’s regolith, which is its topsoil. The ignition of the craft’s engines during descent may create craters and destabilize the surface, propelling regolith particles at high velocities in multiple directions.
To gain insights into the dynamics of rocket exhaust interacting with the Moon’s surface, engineers and scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have conducted extensive tests using a 14-inch hybrid rocket motor. This motor has been test-fired over 30 times. The innovative 3D-printed hybrid rocket motor, created in collaboration with Utah State University, operates by igniting solid fuel alongside a flow of gaseous oxygen, producing a robust jet of rocket exhaust.
Manish Mehta, the discipline lead engineer for Human Landing System Plume & Aero Environments, expressed the importance of this research, stating, “Artemis builds on the foundational knowledge gained from the Apollo missions. However, there’s still much to learn about how the larger spacecraft will interact with the regolith when landing on both the Moon and Mars for future endeavors.” He emphasized that firing a hybrid rocket engine into a simulated lunar regolith has not been performed for decades, and the data collected from these tests will help refine the physics models and ultimately enhance the safety of lunar landings for Artemis crews.
Over billions of years, asteroid and micrometeoroid impacts have broken down the lunar surface into fragments that form a layer known as regolith.
The composition of regolith varies across different lunar locations, influencing its density and capacity to support structures such as landing systems.
Out of the 30 test fires executed at NASA Marshall, 28 were carried out in vacuum conditions, while two took place at ambient pressure. These tests are crucial to ensure the motor functions consistently during further plume-surface interaction tests planned for the 60-foot vacuum chamber at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, later this year.
Following the completion of the tests at Marshall, the hybrid rocket motor will be transferred to NASA Langley. There, test teams will conduct additional firings of the motor using a specially designed simulated lunar regolith known as Black Point-1. This will occur in the vacuum sphere, with engineers analyzing the characteristics of craters formed and assessing how the exhaust affects the simulated regolith particles in terms of speed and direction.
Ashley Korzun, the principal investigator for the plume-surface interaction experiments at NASA Langley, remarked on the significance of these tests: “We are reinstating the capability to evaluate how rocket engines interact with the lunar surface through extensive ground testing in a large vacuum environment, a methodology not utilized since the Apollo and Viking missions. Given that the landers for Artemis are substantially larger and more powerful, acquiring new data is essential for understanding the intricate physics involved in landing and ascent operations.” She further stated that the hybrid motor will play a key role in the second phase of testing to simulate real rocket engine conditions, ultimately minimizing the risks for astronauts, landers, and surface operations.
Through the Artemis campaign, NASA aims to engage astronauts in lunar exploration for scientific advancement, economic opportunities, and as a stepping stone towards the first crewed missions to Mars, benefiting humanity as a whole.
For additional details on the Artemis program, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
Source
www.nasa.gov