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 ...
In mid-2008, all 3 of Musk's companies - SpaceX, Tesla and Solar City - were days from bankruptcy, due to the (engineered to elect Obama) "financial crisis."
Same here-—
BIDEN & GROUP WILL HAVE TO CHOKE ON THIS.
This ADMIN tried to SUE MUSK because he wasn’t hiring ILLEGALS AT SPACE X.
I would have lived to have been a fly on the wall when he pointed out to them that US LAW forbids hiring ILLEGALS on such projects.
LOVED-—not lived
AUTO CORRECT!!!!!!!! UUUGGHHH
Sierra Nevada (now Sierra Space) had a better design than Boeing, but lost the bid for a manned capsule.
wow, just wow
This. Don’t doubt it.
that this is a POS, Boeing risked those astronaut’s life to save face. NASA should ask for a freaking refund.
Everyone and the Media obsesses about the helium leak. That is the minor problem as sufficient helium is still on board the craft. The biggie is the thrusters. Some are not working. That could smoke you.
Nobody wants a problem in space no matter how minor.....but compound problems?......I just hope they get back ok, no matter how.
If only they couldn’t “do” anything. They most often do things that hurt this country. Bureaucrats suck!
ouch!
“This ADMIN tried to SUE MUSK because he wasn’t hiring ILLEGALS AT SPACE X.”
Back around 2005, there was a software engineer at Boeing who went by the name Mr Hands. Mr Hands had a thing for horses, and made news when he bled to death from having sex with his stallion. I can’t help but think this was an early symptom of what plagues Boeing today.
What failing rocket ship company was Boeing forced to take over that is now the actual problem?
If you would like more info:
DEI strikes again?
but sierra has a cargo version and it will be launched to the station some time in september i believe
Yep. They repurposed the manned version to be cargo only.
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