Artemis 1 Timeline

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One thing I would genuinely like to know is why they are bothering with the foam in the first place. On the shuttle it made sense because you couldn't have that ice hitting the orbiter, but now that we are back to in-line rockets, is it really necessary? Classic space rockets did fine just shaking the ice off at liftoff.
"As the Space Launch System flies, it builds up tremendous heat. Without insulation, heat from launch would affect the stability of the cryogenic propellants and the rocket’s structural integrity would be compromised," said Michael Alldredge, who leads the thermal protection system team for the SLS core stage at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “NASA is asking this unique foam material to do the incredible job of protecting critical rocket systems, which vary from large structures to electronics and fuel lines, in an unforgiving launch environment with extreme temperatures and pressures.”
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/insulation-protects-sls-from-fire-and-ice
 
"As the Space Launch System flies, it builds up tremendous heat. Without insulation, heat from launch would affect the stability of the cryogenic propellants and the rocket’s structural integrity would be compromised," said Michael Alldredge, who leads the thermal protection system team for the SLS core stage at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “NASA is asking this unique foam material to do the incredible job of protecting critical rocket systems, which vary from large structures to electronics and fuel lines, in an unforgiving launch environment with extreme temperatures and pressures.”
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/insulation-protects-sls-from-fire-and-ice
Interesting, but then my question becomes why was the Saturn V able to get by without it?

Best guess is that the potential issue was found on the Saturn V flights and applying the foam is not absolutely necessary, but conservative.
 
Interesting, but then my question becomes why was the Saturn V able to get by without it?

Best guess is that the potential issue was found on the Saturn V flights and applying the foam is not absolutely necessary, but conservative.
They didn’t get by without it. They used honeycomb insulation early on and spray foam insulation starting with Apollo 13.
https://history.nasa.gov/afj/s-ii/s-ii-insulation.html
 
Honest... I ran out of gas. I... I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!
 
Honest... I ran out of gas. I... I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!
A million points awarded for a Blues Brothers reference!
 
There's only one of these first stages in existence, right? So this is the same article that got two full duration test fires at Michoud?

That means this isn't the first chilldown at all. Instead, it's the first one tried since laying it down, shipping it to Florida, and standing it back upright again.

Sounds like a great opportunity for some trapped debris to re-position itself to the 'least desirable orientation'.
 
There's only one of these first stages in existence, right? So this is the same article that got two full duration test fires at Michoud?

That means this isn't the first chilldown at all. Instead, it's the first one tried since laying it down, shipping it to Florida, and standing it back upright again.

Sounds like a great opportunity for some trapped debris to re-position itself to the 'least desirable orientation'.
It got one partial test fire and one full duration test fire at Stennis. Michoud is an assembly facility, Stennis is a test facility.

Other than that, what you are saying is definitely possible, though it speaks rather poorly of the program if a piece of debris big enough to clog the bleed plumbing was stuck inside it and wasn't caught until now.
 
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