Posted on 06/26/2024 1:24:32 AM PDT by Libloather
SpaceX may be forced to come to the rescue of two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station after their Boeing Starliner suffered troubling helium leaks.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams soared into space on the Starliner on June 5 and were only supposed to remain at the ISS for nine days — but issues with their ship have left their return date still up in the air, and NASA is now furiously trying to help solve the problem.
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.
While NASA and Boeing officials have reiterated that the current problems aboard the Starliner don’t indicate the need for SpaceX to lend a hand, the Crew Dragon is up to the task.
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.
SpaceX had served as the sole commercial company approved to transport astronauts and cargo to the space station since 2020.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment Tuesday.
Michael Lembeck, an aerospace engineering associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who served as a consultant for Boeing’s spaceflight division from 2009 to 2014, told The Post that the Starliner is still likely to be Wilmore and Williams’ ride back to Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I’ve been predicting SpaceX would have to get involved from the beginning..
There is video from CBS in May of moving the Starliner on a transport over the road and some sort of window covering falling off.
https://x.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1521887273406640138
Remember when some former astronauts claimed SpaceX was a dead end?
Boy, could those guys possibly have been more wrong?
But it's Boeing's inattention to details that is crushing this once proud company. They are being run by non-aviation people, and it shows.
Two to four...typical journalists. Crew Dragon was designed for seven it only launches 4 at a time now not because it can’t because that’s the contract amount. Dragon is also the only spacecraft ever launched with abort capabilities from engine start to orbit. At no time is there a deadmans corner in that spacecraft the umm only one ever to have that safety. Apollo once it jettisoned the launch escape rocket had to go full orbital. Dragon has its escape rockets on the ship at all times. It was originally designed to land without parachutes and those super drago rockets still can do that if nmneeded. Dragon has enough delta V to come in no parachutes at 400 meters per second and brake to zero in just the super drago alone. NASA won’t ever let them test it with humans on board but in flight testing Dragon hovered after being dropped from altitude to terminal velocity so it works.
Anyone riding on a Boeing spaceship better stay in a pressure suit, for if and when the door flies off!
To keep Spacex from taking advantage of a monopolistic position and continuing to develop technologies to reliabely deliver even more for less, NASA had to keep paying Boeing's over the top costs to fail while doing business the old way, the NASA way, so SpaceX could have a gubmint funded over-priced rival.
It's the same logic that is going to produce the next generation of high tech gizzygotches to defeat Russia, you know, like overpriced landing piers that fall appart when ocean breezes start blowing and waves start rolling.
I don't think people fully realize how incompetent government breaucracies living in the "National Capitol Region" have become. They cannot do anything.
Starship Fight 5 sometime late July, featuring launch-tower catch of the booster.
I wonder if it’s time to buy Boeing stock and short it?
McD merger was 30 years ago, so the entire current workforce only knows the post merger mentality.
To keep Spacex from taking advantage of a monopolistic position and continuing to develop technologies to reliabely deliver even more for less, NASA had to keep paying Boeing’s over the top costs to fail while doing business the old way, the NASA way, so SpaceX could have a gubmint funded over-priced rival
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In that vein, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy lost a lucrative, high-profile, military contract to Blue Origin’s New Glenn, a rocket has never made it to orbit.
Falcon Heavy is the only rocket that can place very heavy satellites directly into geosynchronous orbits; not transfer to orbit (GTO).
One of the reasons is that Falcon Heavy does not have as big a fairing (container) for some of the satellites the military wants to launch. There is a faring in the works, but its not ready yet.
New Glenn has a very large fairing, sufficient for the needs of the military. Starship has an even bigger one, but Starship is so heavy it would need a refueling to reach geosynchronous orbit.
To TLI (trans lunar insertion) Direct to geosynchronous orbit would put 25% more weight into geosynchronous obit.
Falcon Heavy current faring: 5,400kg
Falcon Heavy future faring: 18,000kg
New Glenn Fairing: 8,500kg
Starship fairing: N/A because of refueling
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, when all is said and done, has a larger faring and is lighter, so it can put bigger and heavier satellites into geosynchronous orbit than the competition. If it ever flies.
The bureaucrats if NASA would rather sacrifice two astronauts than rescue using SpaceX.
“I don’t think people fully realize how incompetent government breaucracies living in the “National Capitol Region” have become. They cannot do anything.”
I have to hope the above is the case for the Zeepers, but I’d hate to think what it means if I’m wrong.
JUST saw that this past weekend for the first time.
Rumor has it that their 737 Engineers were transferred to solve the problem.
It’s a Jonah….
Sure, it can get them back to earth at any time.
The question is whether they will be alive at that point.
Boeing discovered the astronauts are also whistleblowers. They won’t be coming home.
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