Replies

“Aren’t they using almost the same abort system developed for Orion?”

No. Not even close. Orion’s launch abort tower is a traditional puller design using solid fuel made by Orbital ATK. Starliner uses a pusher design built into the service module with liquid fueled engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. They couldn’t be more different. So again I ask you, when is the in-flight abort test of the Starliner abort system?

“And SpaceX did blow up a payload on the pad not that long ago”

Yeah, so it’s a good thing their pad abort mode was already tested successfully. As a matter of fact, loading the astronauts before the fuel gives you the ability to ensure they’re strapped in and ready for an automatic abort if one is needed throughout the fueling process.

In hindsight, it’s actually safer than loading astronauts onto a rocket that is already full with fuel. Unless you like disembarking the astronauts while there’s an invisible hydrogen fire on the pad, like what happened once with shuttle on STS-41-D. Honestly they’re lucky they didn’t burn to death. They would have run right into the invisible flame had they taken the emergency slidewire from the pad.

“It was not that long ago that spaceX has a president in their pocket (Musk is a huge leftist). Sure their is crony stuff on both sides but at least defend OUR cronies”

Bullshit. There’s no excuse for cronyism on either side. I was against it when Obama was doing it with Musk, cancelling the Constellation program to ensure his buddy was the only game in town for human spaceflight, and I’m against it when Republicans shill for ULA. I don’t care that Musk is a leftist, he’s also a businessman with a highly disruptive business model and the entrenched interests are responding by trying to pull congresscritter strings to put more pressure on SpaceX than the competition. It’s not right when EITHER side does it and it’s a shame you’re just a self-admitted hypocrite.

Better to load fuel with astronauts in it haha! Now I have heard everything. Where did you read that? An article by SpaceX? Funny how no one else agrees.

Invisible hydrogen fire? The Falcon does not USE hydrogen.

And where did you read that SpaceX is REQUIRED to do that test? If they want to test their system extra that is their business.

“and it’s a shame you’re just a self-admitted hypocrite.”

Oh screw you. I was trying to have a polite conversation. That was a joke. Take your lack of humor and stuff it. I am just saying as long as you are going to go through logical conditions to justify something it might as well be something on your own side.