Artemis Program and SPACECOM
In November, Precision Measurements and Instruments Corporation attended SPACECOM in Houston, Texas. During this conference, numerous groups ranging from NASA to the Department of Energy discussed tactical matters impacting the commercial space industry. Part of the conference included NASA Theatre sessions where contacts from NASA discussed their upcoming missions, one of which is the Artemis project. This program’s goal is to get U.S. astronauts back to the moon surface by 2024.
The Artemis program is pushing for new technologies including a sustainable architecture. For example, companies are exploring the use of 3D printers for additive manufacturing of new items and spare parts in space, so that less material will need to be taken on the initial launch.
Similar to other space programs, the Artemis program promotes collaboration among companies. As mentioned by SPACENEWS, this program includes the partnership of numerous companies such as Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. These companies are working together to develop the Lunar Lander for NASA. More information on their collaboration can be found here: https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-lockheed-northrop-join-forces-for-artemis-lunar-lander/.
For this upcoming crewed mission, critical space components will be made of materials such as aluminum, which have had historical data on its properties for a long time. In addition to aluminum and other metals that have historically been used in space components, the use of composites has continued to grow. Per SAMPE North America’s “Composites Applications for Space” article, composites are being used for booms and struts for deployable instruments, launch vehicles, thermal protection systems, and more. To learn more about the application of composites in space, visit: https://www.nasampe.org/page/CompositesApplicationsforSpace.
If you would like to learn more about this program, check out the following NASA video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl6jn-DdafM&feature=youtu.be or you can also visit https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/.
To discuss how Precision Measurements and Instruments Corporation (PMIC) may be able to help you with your testing needs for space flight materials and structural components, please contact us at (541) 753‑0607 or https://pmiclab.com/inquire/.