Posted on 09/03/2024 1:52:35 PM PDT by george76
The good news is that Boeing was able to update the automated flight software on its troubled Starliner space capsule, allowing NASA to return it unmanned to Earth no sooner than Friday. The bad news — or at least the serious question — is whether Starliner will ever fly again.
NASA decided last week not to fly astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home on board the same ship they flew to ISS on due to safety concerns about the service module's malfunctioning thrusters. While an astronaut is sometimes scheduled in advance to return to Earth on board a different space capsule, this is the first time anything like Boeing's snafu has happened...
the discussion between NASA and Boeing "was heated."
"Boeing was convinced that the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed. Strongly disagreed," a NASA source told ... "The thinking around here was that Boeing was being wildly irresponsible."
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When that NASA source .., "Boeing wasn’t happy," that was certainly an understatement.
So, what's next for Starliner?
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The company is already $1.6 billion in the red on Starliner.
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Complicating things further, it seems impossible that NASA will not certify Starliner for any manned missions until it completes a manned flight test — at the company's expense under the fixed-price contract. That's going to cost Boeing at least another $100 million, plus however many millions it will take to diagnose and fix those thrusters.
Fixing Starliner means more delays, too — months? years? And ISS is scheduled to be deorbited (by a souped-up SpaceX Dragon) in 2030.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Boeing and Biden have a lot in common. They both cost billions and can’t finish the job.
Will it actually return ?
Boeing, another company too big to fail, failing.
What is with these large corporation that keep making bad decision yet their chief executive never seem to suffer.
Well since Boeing knows all about using software to stabilize flight vehicles.. perhaps we should give this one to Boeing ?
Everything in orbit eventually returns to Earth.
The only question is in how many pieces.
Lol.
That argument could be made for most of the federal government. And most state and local governments.
Twitter should be the role model for corporate reorganizations, at least for headcount management.
“My auto mechanic told me to ignore all strange noises coming from my car. They are just routine issues with my audio system.”
I was also into Zepplin back then.
Trump's DHS fired them and hired startup Anduril (ex-Occulus Palmer Luckey founded) - they replaced DOUBLE the amount of cameras using modified consumer SLRs and custom advanced AI software - for $120 million. And it all still works 7 years later.
The Starliner will likely return to Earth without incident. All launches and returns have inherent risks of failure. The Boeing craft was no riskier than any competitors, but it had something the others didn’t. The name “Boeing” on the side. NASA lacks confidence in the company and won’t take the humiliation risk of something happening to a Boeing product on their watch.
Boeing will likely cancel the Starliner and use the money on the R&D costs for the next generation of airliners. Working with NASA is not worth the risk.
Wonder what the over/under is in Vegas....
A fellow 2K FReeper thanks you.
First it has to get to the ground intact.
Aw, c'mon, people! Show some of that good ol' DEI NASA gumption! Clamber aboard and blast off to death or glory! Or both. I mean maybe. What could go wrong?
I'll be watching from my deck and rooting for ya...
Boeing, led by HR wokesters, accountants and H-1b invaders falls on its face.
They should leave it up there by boosting it to a stable orbit. Later, when technology allows, they should cannibalize it for parts. Letting tons of good construction material fall back down into the gravity well is a crime against humanity - and taxpayers.
Prediction, a bouncing boeing.
Where will it land? 🤔
Right in the timing of the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, so maybe a final meal is involved.
Reminiscent of Apollo 13 in a way. Ken Mattingly in the LEM under immense pressure and all that.
‘course men and women were cut from a different cloth in those days...
Just Boeing’s luck it goes out of control on re-entry and crashes into a 737-MAX on the way down.
How can they possibly think that this capsule is going to make it back to earth in one piece if it already has problems with the thrusters.
It’s gonna look pretty stupid if they are able to get the capsule back but still leave the astronaut up there.
What’s the betting on that capsule comes back intact
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