Looks like that strange Microsoft Outlook glitch is a thing of the past, but there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
Let’s rewind a bit. When the Artemis II mission took off earlier this week, commander Reid Wiseman onboard the spacecraft complained about his device experiencing a glitch with Microsoft’s Outlook email service.
Based on what Wiseman said, the glitch led to him seeing “two Microsoft Outlooks” on his Surface Pro. Because this was an issue on Wiseman’s PCD, it was not a mission critical component.
Regardless, NASA seems to have rectified the issue. Better yet, NASA’s Jason Hutt explained on Bluesky why they are relying on technology that is around a decade old.
According to Hutt, NASA started to conduct cabin integration in 2017 and anticipated a 2020 launch for Artemis II. At the time, NASA purchased the Surface Pro tablets for the four astronauts because they were already tested and certified for use on the International Space Station (ISS).
Giving the astronauts newer devices would require NASA to conduct additional testing and certification, which isn’t free. Complicating matters, the Artemis II launch date was repeatedly pushed back until it finally happened this week.
Hutt also noted battery life has taken a toll as a result of the repeated delays. These are tablets that are a decade old, so battery degredation is to be expected. Still, Hutt noted that “some units failed before we ever got to flight.”
At the end of the day, the goal is to have equipment that work and will not fail. NASA likely doesn’t want to compromise that for the sake of something flashier and newer.
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