NASA is leveraging expertise, capabilities, and partnerships across its centers to make Artemis campaign and deep space exploration safer, more reliable, and efficient. At NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, contributions include technical leadership, unique flight-testing capabilities, and management of a key technology program that advances critical exploration concepts.<\/p>\n
Artemis II is an upcoming challenging test flight, and the lessons learned will directly prepare NASA to return humans to the surface of the Moon on Artemis III and beyond, as well as send the first astronauts \u2013 Americans \u2013 to Mars.<\/p>\n
As preparations continue for the Artemis II<\/a> launch, NASA Armstrong technicians modified a Gulfstream G-III to collect heat shield data during Orion\u2019s reentry. As part of NASA\u2019s Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery<\/a>, the G-III will join other aircraft to capture Orion\u2019s thermal protection data.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore the Artemis II mission begins, the aircraft will complete a dress rehearsal over the Pacific Ocean to verify the airborne system performance,\u201d said Robert Navarro, NASA Armstrong support aircraft fleet project manager.<\/p>\n Technicians at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston installed sensors and special windows for the imagery mission with assistance from NASA Armstrong technicians.<\/p>\n NASA Armstrong also assists with the Orion heat shield spectrometer system<\/a> for Artemis II. The system is designed to collect shock layer radiation data from the heat shield during atmospheric entry, data that will be used to enhance astronaut safety.<\/p>\n NASA Armstrong\u2019s expertise in integrating technologies, high reliability flight test instrumentation, and flight operations are a match for some Artemis and deep space projects.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is nothing that can go to space or come back without going through the atmosphere, so our mission of atmospheric flight research and test is very relevant,\u201d said Brad Flick, NASA Armstrong center director. \u201cWe specialize in testing technologies and working through the challenges of flight.\u201d<\/p>\n NASA Armstrong demonstrated that approach when it tested a system to enable Artemis astronauts to escape harm in the event of an emergency on the ground, or in the boost phase of the Orion spacecraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe proved the system could get the astronauts to safety,\u201d said Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA\u2019s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator. Earlier in her career, she played key roles in engineering, integration, and management for Pad Abort-1 and Ascent Abort-2 that validated the Orion spacecraft\u2019s launch abort system.<\/p>\n Armstrong integrated and tested the capsule and abort system and operations at the launch abort pad at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico for the Pad Abort-1 test.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully we\u2019ll never need it, but knowing I contributed to the safety of future astronauts is a highlight of my career,\u201d Bahm said. \u201cLooking back on it, it was a tremendous accomplishment for the center, the team, and a contribution to the future of space travel.\u201d<\/p>\n Another contributor to future space travel is the Flight Opportunities program<\/a>, which matures capabilities needed for NASA missions and commercial applications while strategically investing in the growth of the U.S. commercial spaceflight industry. NASA Armstrong manages the program, which supports flight testing of promising technologies, instruments, and experiments aboard commercial vehicles. Part of the agency\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate<\/a>, the program identifies the best ideas \u2013 from industry, academia, and NASA researchers \u2013 for flight testing.<\/p>\n Flight Opportunities advanced precision landing<\/a> and optical communications technologies for future lunar missions.<\/p>\n \u201cLanding safely in shadowed lunar regions is critical,\u201d said Greg Peters, Flight Opportunities program manager.<\/p>\n Another deep space technology Flight Opportunities supported was a vibration isolation platform that helped provide extremely precise pointing<\/a> for the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration<\/a>. That instrument used lasers to transmit data between Earth and the Psyche spacecraft from more than 215 million miles away, which could benefit future missions to Mars.<\/p>\n NASA Armstrong tested Doppler Lidar system<\/a> navigation on an F\/A-18 to prepare for Moon and Mars missions.<\/p>\n NASA Armstrong\u2019s work supporting Artemis and future deep space exploration missions also includes:<\/p>\n A NASA F\/A-18 based at NASA Armstrong tested an autopilot<\/a> for the SLS (Space Launch System) that proved sensors would work at the trajectory needed for landing on Mars.<\/p>\n