Experts did not classify it as a catastrophic failure, but it was a clear signal that something was wrong and could be life-threatening. In response, NASA halted the program’s progress. Artemis II did not move forward until Orion underwent a redesign of the shield, testing of modern materials, and a complete recalibration of thermal models. The dream of returning to the Moon has been delayed for almost two years.
The history of space is littered with moments when a problem during atmospheric reentry forced entire missions to be paused or reconsidered. The Soyuz 1 case in 1967 is one of the most remembered. The pioneering capsule orbited Earth, but its parachute system failed during re-entry into orbit and the spacecraft crashed into the ground at full speed. Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov died and the program was suspended for 18 months.
For NASA, tragedy struck in 2003. A piece of foam struck the left wing of Space Shuttle Columbia during liftoff and damaged its heat shield. No one detected the defect. Upon re-entry, heat penetrated the structure and the spacecraft disintegrated. All seven crew members were killed. The shuttle program was put on hold for two years and was ultimately canceled.
There is no room for improvisation in reentry. Artemis II is critical to the lunar program because it must demonstrate that conditions exist to safely transport humans to and from the Moon. If this final step is not error-free, the program will stop.
Partly for this reason, the expected moon landing was transferred to Artemis IVscheduled for 2030. Artemis III will be an intermediate mission, less spectacular but more critical and dedicated to checking systems, suits and maneuvers. This way, when it comes time to set foot on the Moon, as little as possible is left to chance.
This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish and was translated from Spanish.