April 27, 2024

NASA Artemis I – Flight Day Four: GO for Outbound Powered Flyby

Star trackers are sensitive electronic cameras that take images of the star field around Orion. By comparing the images to its built-in map of stars, the star tracker can identify which method Orion is oriented.
As part of prepared screening throughout the objective, the guidance, navigation, and control officer, also called GNC, performed the first of several tests of the star trackers that support Orions navigation system. Star trackers are a navigation tool that measure the positions of stars to help the spacecraft identify its orientation. In previous flight days, engineers assessed preliminary information to comprehend star tracker readings correlated to thruster shootings.
Engineers want to identify the alignment between the star trackers that become part of the guidance, navigation and control system and the Orion inertial measurements units, by exposing various locations of the spacecraft to the Sun and triggering the star trackers in various thermal states.
Just after 5:30 p.m. on November 19, Orion had taken a trip 222,823 miles from Earth and was 79,011 miles from the Moon, cruising at 812 miles per hour. You can track Orion by means of the Artemis Real-Time Orbit Website, or AROW.
Overnight, engineers in objective control will uplink large information files to Orion to much better comprehend just how much time it takes for the spacecraft to receive sizeable files. On flight day 5, Orion will undergo its 3rd planned outbound trajectory correction burn to stay and steer the spacecraft on course to the Moon.

Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in area with a camera mounted on its solar array wing throughout a routine external examination of the spacecraft on the third day of the Artemis I objective. Credit: NASA
Evaluating WiFi Signals, Radiator System, GO for Outbound Powered Flyby
NASAs Artemis I Mission Management Team polled “go” on Saturday, November 19 for Orions outgoing powered flyby past the Moon. Starting at 7:15 a.m. EST (4:15 a.m. PST) on Monday, November 21, NASA will cover the flyby live on NASA TV, the agencys website, and the NASA app. The burn is prepared for 7:44 a.m. As the Orion pill passes behind the Moon from 7:25 a.m. through 7:59 a.m., it will lose communication with Earth. It will make its closest method of roughly 80 miles (130 km) from the surface at 7:57 a.m.
During flight day 4, each solar array was transferred to different positions by flight controllers to evaluate the strength of the WiFi signal with the varieties in various setups. The WiFi transfer rate in between the electronic camera on the idea of the solar array panels and the video camera controller was checked by the Integrated Communications Officer, or INCO. The goal was to identify the finest position for the most effective transfer of imagery files. As soon as can affect the WiFi information rate, groups found that having multiple cameras on at. For that reason, to optimize transfer time in the future, solar variety wing file transfer activities will be achieved from one solar array wing at a time.
Two radiator loops on the spacecrafts European Service Module assist expel excess heat created by different systems throughout the flight. The flight test goal is to monitor system efficiency and the accuracy of circulation sensing units to identify the stability of this mode of operation. Each loop is monitored in circulation control mode for 72 hours to offer adequate information for use on future objectives.

NASAs Artemis I Mission Management Team polled “go” on Saturday, November 19 for Orions outbound powered flyby past the Moon. Star trackers are delicate video cameras that take photos of the star field around Orion. By comparing the photos to its integrated map of stars, the star tracker can figure out which way Orion is oriented. The star trackers on Orion are located on the European Service Module on either side of the optical navigation cam. As part of planned testing throughout the objective, the guidance, navigation, and control officer, likewise known as GNC, carried out the very first of several tests of the star trackers that support Orions navigation system.