I have a member of my family who was part of the team at Kennedy Space Center in 1986. On January 27th he begged the higher-ups not to launch Challenger. The space shuttle was clearly not rated for launch in such below-freezing temperatures.
My relative's pleas were ignored. We know what happened.
I confess that my own mind is not of the caliber of those who are engaged in America's space effort. My formal training is in history, not aeronautics and engineering. But I'm still begging you: do not launch the Artemis II mission tomorrow. In fact, don't launch it at all.
The vehicle has too many issues that are being ignored, just as Challenger's were ignored for sake of the chance to have a successful mission. The materials - especially the heat shield - are definitely not as sound as the ones that the Apollo craft were composed of. The life support system is untested. The rocket has leaked like a sieve so much during fueling that there is no telling what has been overlooked.
Look, few things would make me happier than to see Artemis II return to Earth with its crew of four having gone around the Moon, carrying people there for the first time in over fifty-three years.
I hate to tell you this though, but the NASA of today is not the NASA of the Sixties. The Apollo program was an unprecedented focused effort to fulfill President Kennedy's goal of landing man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. Almost the entirety of American industry played a role in making that happen. There has been no such similar effort in the more than twenty years since Artemis was conceived.
I believe that humans can be returned to the Moon. And that they can have a long-term presence there. But such a thing cannot be rushed. And that is what Artemis has always come across as being: a rush job. No offense meant to its designers and builders. And yes, I know that tomorrow is being seen as a day two decades in the making. But it's still too soon.
So I'm begging y'all, refrain from launching Artemis II tomorrow. Yes, daring to leap beyond the grasp of Earth is a magnificent endeavor. But it also must be thoughtful and considerate. And that isn't what I and others with better minds than mine are seeing is happening with this vessel.
2 comments:
Ever since reading Atlas Shrugged fifteen years ago, I've tried not to be a "feelings" person. I've instead sought to be someone who uses his mind and THINKS. When it comes to this mission though, my feelings are screaming. I'm not alone in urging NASA to postpone the flight, perhaps indefinitely. There are many others who are far better qualified in making such an estimate. One person compared Artemis to the submersible that tried to visit the Titanic a few years ago but was destroyed by extreme pressure crushing it. That's not an inappropriate comparison.
From Grok:
Heat Shield (Biggest Public Concern): During the uncrewed Artemis I (2022), the Orion heat shield experienced unexpected char loss, cracking, and material shedding. NASA investigated thoroughly and opted not to replace it for Artemis II (a full redesign would cause major delays). Instead, they changed the reentry trajectory to a steeper, more direct plunge. This shortens exposure to peak heating, reducing stress on the shield despite higher instantaneous loads.
They know the heat shield doesnt work as originally intended so they're changing the angle that it drops into the atmosphere.
I wouldn't fly in that thing if it was loaded with booze and hookers.
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