Posted on 06/26/2024 11:44:40 AM PDT by Red Badger
Two NASA scientists are currently stranded in orbit aboard the International Space Station, due to multiple helium leaks in the Boeing Starliner that should have brought them back to Earth 13 days ago.
Now speculation arises that rival company SpaceX may be called upon to rescue Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
The Astronauts’ mission on the Starliner was launched on June 5, and they were only to remain at the ISS for nine days.
Now, troubles with the spaceship mean that their return date is still uncertain, as NASA scrambles ‘furiously’ to solve the problem.
New York Post reported:
“Boeing-rival SpaceX could potentially end up being tapped to ultimately bring them home aboard its Crew Dragon spaceship.
The outcome would serve as a severe blow to troubled aerospace giant Boeing, which has spent about $1.5 billion in cost overruns — beyond its initial $4.5 billion contract with NASA — in hopes of making Starliner a second option to reach the ISS.”
The Starliner docked in the ISS. NASA and Boeing insist that the current Starliner problems don’t warrant the need for SpaceX to lend a hand.
“The SpaceX ship, which recently ferried four astronauts to the ISS in March, is capable of carrying two to four passengers at a time, but it can fit additional occupants in an emergency.”
Elon Musk’s SpaceX served as the sole commercial company approved to transport astronauts and cargo to the space station since 2020.
“NASA most likely delayed the return trip home so that they could spend more time studying the craft while it’s still attached to the ISS to learn more about what went wrong and how to avoid it for its next mission.”
After a series of delays in the launch, NASA and Boeing managers knew of a Helium leak, but deemed it too small to pose danger to the mission.
But during the launch and flight up to the ISS, other leaks developed, so the situation ‘remains fluid’.
This is hardly the first time Astronauts or Cosmonauts have been stranded in space. The last NASA astronaut stranded in space was American Frank Rubio, after problems with the Russian Soyuz capsule that took him to the ISS. He ended up staying 371 days in Space.
“Two NASA scientists”? What happened to all the astronauts NASA was training?
Dragon will be free to rescue them when its current schedule is used up some time in the next year or two.
SpaceX just launched a GOES today I think? Going to look into when they will be getting a Dragon ready to send up.
The Russian just lost a key tracking station and are no longer able to help.
Better: Musk buys all Boeing assets and parts them out.
This ^^^ !
When Apollo 13 blew up, the lunar module team at Grumman sent the Apollo CSM team at North American Rockwell an itemized bill for "towing charges". (I think the total charge was something like $13 million.) I hope Elon sends a similar bill to Boeing if the astronauts have to return on SpaceX.
You sound unfamiliar with how quickly corporations work. What was yesterday’s “strategic growth platform” can become “non-essential to our core business” in 3 months. Which, not coincidentally, is one quarter which is the interval upon which top executive bonuses are calculated.
Starliner’s fate depends on what happens with the stock price, not however much was sunk into its development. Too many examples to count...
If they decide to abandon the Starliner, they may sell what tech they have in it to Musk, to attempt to regain a little of their lost investment.
Free market capitalism works because of the "right to fail". Corporations with the mind set you mention, are more likely to fail in the long term. Examples abound. Examples also abound of government declaring corporations "too big to fail", which also short circuits the right to fail.
better buy their tickets now
If it’s Boeing, I ain’t going.
you may be a poet
and not even know it
Elon should send w capsules up. One for rescue attempt the other full of pizza and hookers.
That was kind of the plot of a 1969 film called Marooned , great cast in that.
Gene Hackman, James Franciscus, Richard Crenna, and Gregory Peck.
Elon shoulda launched the rescue in the middle of the night and should be standing off ISS 10000 kilometers right now.
DEI=DIE
“Maybe you are a poet and don’t know it? ;-):
Maybe you are a poet
and don’t know it
“Free market capitalism works because of the “right to fail””
If enough catastrophic failures become headline-grabbing fatalities the “right to fail” becomes the “right to go to jail”.
Agree, sounds like they contracted out QA and never reviewed/approved the QAP or QASP. Lazy way to do business.
So, all kidding aside, I assume there would be no docking compatibility issues between the two spacecraft?
Or could they just spacewalk over?
Sorry for my ignorance.
Boeing is unionized. Does SpaceX have a union?
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