Boeing's Starliner during its final approach to the International Space Station on June 6, 2024.Image credit: NASA |
Posted on 06/23/2024 12:48:23 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Starliner had been scheduled to come home on June 26, but it will now stay aloft until at least July 2...
Starliner's current mission, known as Crew Flight Test (CFT), sent NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. CFT launched on June 5 and arrived at the orbiting lab a day later.
But, as Stich noted, that arrival was not perfectly smooth. During its chasedown of the ISS, Starliner experienced problems with five of its 28 reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. Four of them were eventually brought back online.
In addition, CFT team members have noticed five small helium leaks in Starliner's propulsion system. One was spotted before launch but not deemed a serious issue; four cropped up after the capsule deployed from its rocket, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V.
Starliner was initially scheduled to spend about a week at the ISS on this shakeout cruise. But on June 9, NASA and Boeing announced that its departure had been pushed back to no earlier than June 18, to accommodate a planned June 13 NASA spacewalk at the ISS and to allow more time for Starliner checkouts.
Then, on Tuesday (June 18), the planned departure date shifted again, to June 26...
Certification involves clearing Starliner to fly six-month astronaut missions to the ISS for NASA. SpaceX already conducts those flights with its Crew Dragon capsule; Elon Musk's company is in the middle of its eighth contracted long-duration crewed mission.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
NASA and Boeing engineers are troubleshooting various faults in the Starliner spacecraft. But with only 45 days of docking time available, the window for return is closing.Astronauts stranded in space due to multiple issues with Boeing's Starliner — and the window for a return flight is closing | Ben Turner | LiveScience | published 2 days ago
Boeing's Starliner during its final approach to the International Space Station on June 6, 2024.Image credit: NASA |
Blastoff! SpaceX launches European TV satellite, nails 250th landing at sea
9:14
VideoFromSpace
1.78M subscribers
22,454 views
June 21, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPmuXFCBzHQ
[snip] I think the decision to bring it back with no crew aboard has already been made, but in the meantime the teams are trying to get as much data as possible before it disintegrates on reentry... I doubt that they’ll build another one or fly any they already have in process. [/snip]
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4245500/posts?page=21#21
I missed the text in the excerpt, but anyway, the writer noted that there's plenty of supplies onboard -- IOW, when the two that arrived on the decaying hulk have to stay behind as the unmanned craft makes a robotic attempt to reenter and land (this one uses airbags to touch down on dry land) they won't tax the ISS resources.
They are going to need to get SpaceX up there to rescue the astronauts. :)
I think that 45 day docking limit is due to the scheduled arrival of the next Crew Dragon. The previous one is still on station. That’ll be the one that brings those being rotated out back to Earth.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/05/02/dragon-moves-to-new-port-makes-way-for-starliner/
It is beginning to look like the best possible use for Starliner is to carry a load of garbage down from the ISS. Garbage build up is a perennial problem and this will do double duty, simulating the weight of the crew.
If it burns up, well they still got rid of it.
Kinda like a homemade submarine. I’ve already seen this movie.
The next Starship/SuperHeavy Booster launch could be altered to save some astronauts. I would trust a SpaceX test flight much more.
Nobody’s stranded. Plenty of Dragon 2and Soyuz available. I wouldn’t trust Boeing anymore.
LeakLiner!
The company mentioned is Boeing. Boeing was the designated salvation of what failing space craft manufacturer(s)?
Was it McDonald Douglas?
Boeing number one priority, Diversity
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4246122/posts
Boeing Starleaker
LOL. Nailed it.
This whole thing is pathetic, but perfectly representative of a firm which can’t even get the design of aircraft windscreen heaters correct without ‘unforeseen consequences’ (cracked & shattered windscreens at altitude).
Boeing should have been broken up years ago and the merger should never have been permitted.
It’s dead, Jim.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
