The four astronauts chosen for the incredible journey around the moon in just one year’s time have finally laid eyes on their spacecraft. However, NASA has issued a warning, stating that there may be further delays.
Excitement filled the air as the astronauts peered into their unfinished Orion capsule, still adorned with red “Remove Before Flight” tags. Astronaut Christina Koch couldn’t help but express her awe, saying, “Nothing else looks like that … that’s what gave me shivers.”
The U.S.-Canadian crew recently visited the Kennedy Space Center to inspect the capsule. NASA’s plan is to send these four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back by the end of next year.
However, investigations into the capsule’s heat shield have raised concerns. Last year’s test flight around the moon revealed unexpected charring and material loss from the heat shield at the bottom of the capsule. This heat shield is crucial for protecting the capsule during reentry.
Furthermore, the Artemis program’s next mission—a moon landing—faces even more obstacles and may be delayed from late 2025 to 2026. The main challenge lies with SpaceX’s Starship, the rocketship responsible for carrying two NASA astronauts from lunar orbit to the south pole.
NASA is worried because SpaceX has only conducted one test flight so far, which ended in an explosion shortly after liftoff in April. The space agency wants to see multiple successful Starship orbital flights, the establishment of a refueling depot around Earth, and a moon-landing dress rehearsal before committing to a moon landing using Starship.
Jim Free, NASA’s exploration systems development chief, stated that the agency should have a better understanding of the situation by this fall.
Despite these concerns, the atmosphere inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building—named after the first man to step onto the moon—was filled with optimism. When asked about being in such hallowed grounds, crew commander Reid Wiseman said, “It’s not our own trip, but the next moon landing that is going to carry the dream for us.”
This week, an acoustic test will take place, with over 200 rock concert speakers surrounding the capsule. NASA plans to subject the area to thunderous sounds of liftoff, reaching up to 143 decibels, to assess the durability of the windows, wiring, and other components of the capsule.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, gesturing towards the capsule, remarked, “That’s real … It’s not a dream.”
