NASA’s Artemis II mission crew faced unexpected technical challenges with Microsoft Outlook, as the email service experienced disruptions beyond Earth.
Approximately seven hours into the mission, Commander Reid Wiseman informed Mission Control that the email system had ceased to function.
“I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one of those are working,” Wiseman reported to Houston’s Mission Control during a live broadcast on Thursday.
The Artemis II mission, with an estimated cost of $4.1 billion as per NASA’s Office of Inspector General, has encountered a few minor technical hiccups since its launch earlier this week.
Commander Wiseman was utilizing a Microsoft Surface Pro, a specialized tablet astronauts depend on for accessing emails and crucial mission data.
These devices are vital for maintaining communication while in space, necessitating prompt resolution of any technical issues.
‘If you want to remote in and check those two Outlooks … that would be awesome,’ Wiseman said.
NASA’s team in Houston confirmed it would remotely access Wiseman’s device and ‘let you know when we’re done.’
Commander Reid Wiseman (second from left) reported that his Microsoft Outlook email accounts had stopped working roughly seven hours into the flight
The Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B, is estimated to cost about $4.1 billion
Reactions to the unusual email snafu were quick online, with users joking that Outlook’s glitches were a sort of universal experience.
‘Microsoft disappointing customers Earth and beyond,’ one user on X posted.
‘They took Outlook. It didn’t work properly,’ another said. ‘Is there a single person on Earth or in Space who was surprised?’
A third user quipped that NASA was ‘sending the whole human experience to space,’ technological issues included.
NASA explained on Thursday that the complications with Wiseman’s Outlook had been resolved, noting they had not been taken by surprise.
‘This is not uncommon,’ Judd Frieling, the Artemis II flight director, said during a press conference. ‘We have this on station all the time.’
‘Sometimes, Outlook has issues getting configured, especially when you don’t have a network that’s directly connected,’ Frieling added.
He explained that NASA ‘just had to reload his files on Outlook to get it working.’
Artemis II flight director Judd Frieling said Thursday that Outlook sometimes had issues getting configured
NASA explained that they reloaded Wiseman’s files to get his email accounts to start working again (Photo of an Outlook error message)
The Orion capsule’s bathroom has also experienced issues since Artemis II launched.
‘Outlook down and bathroom trouble,’ one X user said. ‘Proof that you can leave Earth, but Earth won’t leave you.’
Sensors in the waste management system began showing unexpected readings within hours of takeoff, according to flight controllers.
One of the astronauts on board, Christina Koch, reported issues with the toilet just seconds after starting it up.
‘The toilet shut down on its own and I have a blinking amber fault light,’ Koch told Mission Control.
The titanium toilet uses air suction to remove waste and collects urine and solid waste separately.
Liquids are vented into space, while solid waste is stowed onboard for disposal after the return trip.
After several hours of troubleshooting, the toilet was reported as fixed, with Mission Control offering astronauts a suggestion.
‘Happy to report that toilet is go for use,’ Mission Control said. ‘We do recommend letting the system get to operating speed before donating fluid.’
Orion features a toilet compartment hidden behind a panel in the floor (circled in red). However, its waste management system had continued experiencing issues as of Saturday
Wiseman was using a Microsoft Surface Pro as his personal computing device when he encountered the difficulties
However, the waste management system had continued to give the Artemis II crew issues as of Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Engineers believe that ice may be blocking the line, preventing urine from completely flushing overboard.
For now, the toilet remained usable for bowel functions, though issues with the urine system persisted.
Astronauts on the Artemis II have also reported a smell emanating from the bathroom, which is buried in the floor of the capsule with a door and curtain for privacy.
NASA’s Orion program deputy manager, Debbie Korth, said that space toilets and bathrooms were ‘always a challenge.’
John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, added that the bathroom remained ‘in a good state right now,’ though it wasn’t fully operational.
Honeycutt added that the astronauts would keep working through the bathroom woes.
‘They’re okay,’ he said. ‘They trained to manage through the situation.’
Wiseman and his crew are expected to reach their destination on Monday.
The four astronauts will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule, hang a U-turn and then head straight home without a stop.
The Daily Mail has reached out to NASA and Microsoft for comment.
