NASA stands at the precipice of a monumental endeavor: the Artemis II mission, poised to return astronauts to the lunar vicinity. Yet, the uncrewed Artemis I mission revealed an unforeseen challenge – unsettling vibrations caused by turbulent airflow around the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage and solid boosters.
Unraveling the Mystery of Turbulent Airflow
Ensuring the utmost safety for its crew, NASA engineers swiftly mobilized a formidable arsenal of modern wind-tunnel tests, state-of-the-art supercomputing, and novel pressure-sensing methods to meticulously diagnose and rectify this critical issue.
During Artemis I, sensors diligently recorded specific vibration patterns in the space between the solid rocket boosters and the core stage intertank, unequivocally linking them to unsteady air currents. To precisely recreate these challenging conditions, NASA teams employed scale models in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center.
These models were coated with unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP), a remarkable material that glows in response to changes in pressure. This allowed high-speed cameras to capture incredibly detailed and full-surface aerodynamic data. The immense data output was then processed by NASA’s supercomputers and visualized on expansive hyperwall screens, which precisely pinpointed where the pressure oscillations posed a threat to the rocket’s structural integrity.
The Ingenious Fix: Aerodynamic Strakes
With a clear understanding of the problem, computer simulations were deployed to explore potential solutions. The most effective fix proved to be the addition of four slender “strakes”—fin-like extensions strategically placed near each booster’s forward attachment. These strakes were designed to normalize airflow and significantly dampen the problematic vibrations.
Subsequent wind-tunnel tests conclusively validated the strakes’ efficacy, demonstrating substantial reductions in fluctuating pressures. Boeing is now tasked with installing these six-foot strakes at Kennedy Space Center, a vital step towards guaranteeing a stable and secure journey for the Artemis II astronauts.
This remarkable integration of real-flight data, rapid supercomputer modeling, and hardware innovation has enabled NASA to condense weeks of analysis into mere hours, keeping Artemis II firmly on its ambitious timeline. These pioneering techniques will undoubtedly serve as a blueprint for future SLS upgrades and other critical space exploration missions, reinforcing NASA’s commitment to cutting-edge problem-solving for safe human spaceflight.
To further understand the Artemis program, watch this video: