{"id":11317,"date":"2024-06-25T18:01:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T22:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/six-adapters-for-crewed-artemis-flights-tested-built-at-nasa-marshall\/"},"modified":"2024-06-25T18:01:43","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T22:01:43","slug":"six-adapters-for-crewed-artemis-flights-tested-built-at-nasa-marshall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/six-adapters-for-crewed-artemis-flights-tested-built-at-nasa-marshall\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall<\/h2>\n

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5 Min Read<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSix Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Six adapters for the next of NASA\u2019s SLS (Space Launch System) rockets for Artemis II through Artemis IV are currently at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Engineers are analyzing data and applying lessons learned from extensive in-house testing and the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight to improve future iterations of the rocket.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\/Sam Lott<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

As a child learning about basic engineering, you probably tried and failed to join a square-shaped toy with a circular-shaped toy: you needed a third shape to act as an adapter and connect them both together. On a much larger scale, integration of NASA\u2019s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket<\/a> and the Orion spacecraft for the agency\u2019s Artemis campaign would not be possible without the adapters being built, tested, and refined at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. <\/p>\n

Marshall is currently home to six adapters designed to connect SLS\u2019s upper stages with the core stages and propulsion systems for future Artemis flights to the Moon.<\/p>\n

Preparing Block 1 Adapters for Upcoming Crewed Flights<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch with the assistance of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. The propulsion stage is sandwiched between two adapters: the launch vehicle stage adapter and the Orion stage adapter.<\/p>\n

The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter provides structural strength and protects the rocket\u2019s flight computers and other delicate systems from acoustic, thermal, and vibration effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inside of the launch vehicle stage adapter for the SLS rocket uses orthogrid machining \u2013 also known as waffle pattern machining,\u201d said Keith Higginbotham, launch vehicle stage adapter hardware manager supporting the SLS Spacecraft\/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. \u201cThe aluminum alloy plus the grid pattern is lightweight but also very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis II is \u00a0at Marshall and ready for shipment to NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while engineering teams are completing outfitting and integration work on the launch vehicle stage adapte<\/a>r for Artemis III. These cone-shaped adapters differ from their Artemis I counterpart, featuring additional avionics protection for crew safety.<\/p>\n

Just a few buildings over, the Orion stage adapter for Artemis II<\/a>, with its unique docking target that mimics the target on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to test Orion\u2019s handling during the piloting demonstration test<\/a>, is in final outfitting prior to shipment to Kennedy for launch preparations. The five-foot-tall, ring-shaped adapter is small but mighty: in addition to having space to accommodate small secondary payloads, it contains a diaphragm that acts as a barrier to prevent gases generated during launch from entering Orion.<\/p>\n

The Artemis III Orion stage adapter\u2019s major structure is complete and its avionics unit and diaphragm will be installed later this year. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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Following the first flight of SLS with Artemis I, technicians adjusted their approach to assembling the launch vehicle stage adapter by introducing the use of a rounding tool to ensure that no unintended forces are placed on the hardware.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Sam Lott<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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The Orion stage adapter is complete at Marshall, including welding, painting, and installation of the secondary payload brackets, cables, and avionics unit. The adapter is protected by a special conductive paint that prevents electric arcing in space. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch viewed the hardware during a Nov. 27 visit to Marshall.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Charles Beason<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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SLS Block 1B\u2019s payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration, but each will be unique and customized to fit individual mission needs. \u201cBoth the Orion stage adapter and the payload adapter are being assembled in the same room at Marshall,\u201d said Brent Gaddes, lead for the Orion stage adapter in the Spacecraft\/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. \u201cSo, there\u2019s a lot of cross-pollination between teams.\u201d<\/div>\n
NASA\/Sam Lott<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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Unlike the flight hardware, the universal stage adapter\u2019s development test article has flaws intentionally included in its design to test if fracture toughness predictions are correct. Technicians are incorporating changes for the next test article, including alterations to the vehicle damping system mitigating vibrations on the launch pad.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Brandon Hancock<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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