NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment

Airflow around rockets as they travel from Earth into space can have a dramatic impact on a mission, which is why NASA used advanced simulations to provide the best possible launch conditions for the Artemis II test flight around the Moon.

To better understand the Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's flight environment, engineers turned to a NASA-developed tool called the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) framework. The software addresses computational fluid dynamics, the flow behavior of gases and liquids.

Using data from the 2022 Artemis I launch, researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley used LAVA to simulate complex interactions between the rocket plume and a system that pumps water to suppress sound during launch. The system protects the rocket and other equipment from potentially damaging sound waves.