Astronauts of the Artemis II mission encountered a Microsoft Outlook malfunction aboard Orion

Even beyond Earth, technology can still cause unexpected trouble. During the Artemis II mission, astronauts encountered an unusual issue — a malfunction of Microsoft Outlook aboard the Orion spacecraft.

A glitch on day one

The problem appeared at the very start of the mission. Commander Reid Wiseman noticed that neither of the two installed Outlook clients on his personal device — a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet — was functioning. At the same time, issues were reported with another piece of software called Optimus.

Wiseman informed Mission Control and requested a remote check of the system.

Remote fix from Earth

Engineers quickly accessed the device and resolved the issue within about an hour. Both Optimus and Outlook were restored, although the email client continued to operate in offline mode — which is hardly surprising in space.

Why astronauts even use Outlook

At first glance, using email in orbit may seem unnecessary. However, such tools are part of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software commonly used alongside specialized systems.

They provide astronauts with familiar interfaces like Windows, allowing them to check schedules, manage communication, and perform routine tasks more efficiently.

Core systems remain unaffected

It is important to note that critical spacecraft operations do not rely on such applications. Flight systems run on radiation-hardened hardware and rigorously tested software.

COTS tools serve only as a supplementary layer and do not impact mission safety.

Not the only onboard issue

The email glitch was not the only unexpected inconvenience. Earlier in the mission, the spacecraft’s toilet system failed. Mission specialist Christina Koch later reported that she managed to fix it самостоятельно without assistance from Earth.

A historic return to the Moon

Artemis II marks the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years. The 10-day flight includes a lunar flyby followed by a return to Earth.

The mission launched on April 2 using the Space Launch System rocket, opening a new chapter in NASA’s lunar program.