From Supercomputers to Wind Tunnels: NASA’s Road to Artemis II

Among the many roads leading to successful artemis missions, one is paved with high -tech computer chips called Superchips. Along the way, a partnership between NASA blower engineers, data visualization scientists and software developers has verified a rapid and profitable solution to improve the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket of NASA for the next Artemis II mission. It will be the first crew flight of the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft, in a trip of about 10 days to the moon.

A high -speed network connection between high -end IT resources at NASA Advanced SuperComputing Facility and the unit map blower, both located at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley in California, allows collaboration to improve the rocket for the Artemis II mission. During the artemis I test flight, the SLS rocket experienced higher vibrations than expected near the attachment points of the solid rocket, caused by an unstable air flow between the gap.

A solution proposed for Artemis II has been to add four channels. A train is a thin and fin structure commonly used in planes to improve unstable air flow and stability. Add them to the central step minimized the vibration of the components.

The station’s solution comes from previous tests in the unit map blower, where NASA engineers applied a technique of sensitive painting (UPSPE) to SLS models. Painting measurements change aerodynamic pressures over the air and the spaceship.

It is sprayed on test models and high -speed cameras capture the video of the fluctuating brightness of the paint, which corresponds to the local pressure fluctuations of the model. The capture of rapid pressure changes on large areas of the SLS model helps engineers understand the rapidly evolving environment. The data is distributed to the installation of advanced supercalculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculia via a high speed network connection.

“This technique allows us to see the bellows data in much thinner details than ever. With this additional clarity, engineers can create more precise models of how rockets and spacecrafts react to stress, helping to design stronger, safer and more efficient structures, “said Thomas Steva, main engineer, SLS subdivision in the aerodynamic branch at the Espace Marshall flight center in Nasa in the Huntville, in Alabama.

For the SLS configuration with the channels, the blower team applied the paint to a rocket scale model. Once the camera data is broadcast towards the installation of Supercalculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculum has displayed the results on the hyperwall visualization system, giving the SLS team an unprecedented overview of the effect of the chains on vehicle performance. The teams were able to interact and analyze the painting data.

Kevin Murphy

NAS scientific data officer

“NASA high -end capacity and IT installations, associated with unique installations at Ames, give us the possibility of increasing productivity by shortening deadlines, reducing costs and reinforcing conceptions in a way that directly supports safe human space flights,” said Kevin Murphy, chief scientific officer and lead for Washington high -end calculation of the agency. “We actively use this capacity to ensure that Artemis II is ready for the launch.”

Take advantage of the high -speed connection between the plane of the unit blower and the installation of advanced supercalculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculculing the processing time typical of the data from weeks to only hours.

For years, aerodynamic launching software, ascending NASA Advancing SuperComputing Division of NASA have contributed to playing a role in the design and certification of the various SLS vehicle configurations.

“The possibility of working with hyperwall and the visualization team allows a rapid and fast engagement with data, and we can provide almost real time adjustments to processing,” said Lara Lash, a aerospace engineering researcher in the experimental branch of aerodynamic physics at NASA Ames which directs the UPSP work.

This time, advanced NASA supercompute researchers used the Cabeus supercomputer, which is the largest computer cluster based on the agency containing 350 nodes of NVIDIA Superchip. The supercalculator produced a series of dynamic complex liquid simulations which have helped to explain the underlying physics of the addition of the station and filled gaps between the areas where the cameras and the wind tunnel sensors could not reach.

It was really a joint effort in several teams.

“The beauty of the station’s solution is that we were able to add channels to improve unstable aerodynamics and associated vibration levels of components in the intercalence,” said Kristin Morgan, who manages the implementation of the palette for the SLS in Marshall.

A Boeing team is currently installing the channels on the Kennedy Space Center rocket in NASA in Florida and aims at October 2025 to complete the installation.

Thanks to Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the moon for scientific discovery, economic advantages and will strengthen the basics of the first missions equipped with Mars.

To find out more about Artemis, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Deal Jonathan
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
Jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov