NASA Resolves Artemis II Rocket Vibration Issues Through Wind Tunnel Testing

NASA is ready to launch its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in the next crewed Artemis II mission, which is the next stage of bringing astronauts back to the Moon. The results of flight of the uncrewed Artemis I mission were an undesirable surprise in the form of the vibrations of the turbulent air around the core stage of the rocket and solid boosters. To achieve the safety of the crew, engineers used the combination of modern wind-tunnel tests, state-of-the-art supercomputing, and novel pressure-sensing methods to find out and address the issue.

Older conditions

According to NASA, during Artemis I, sensors registered specific vibration patterns in the gap between individual solid rocket boosters and the core stage intertank that were associated with unsteady air flowing. NASA teams recreated these conditions in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center using scale models coated with unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP).

This special coating can be seen to glow in changing pressure and this enables high-speed cameras to record detailed and full-surface data. The outputs, which were sent to NASA supercomputers and displayed on large hyperwall screens, showed exactly where the oscillations of pressures posed a danger to the rocket structure.

Fixing the problem

Computer simulations confirmed that adding four slender “strakes,” fin-like extensions near each booster's forward attachment, would smooth airflow and cut vibration. Wind-tunnel tests showed significant reductions in fluctuating pressures, and Boeing is set to install the six-foot strakes at Kennedy Space Center.

By combining real-flight data, rapid supercomputer modeling, and hardware innovation, NASA has compressed weeks of analysis into hours, keeping Artemis II on track. The same techniques will guide future SLS upgrades and other missions, demonstrating how high-tech problem-solving ensures safe human spaceflight.