Posted on 08/07/2024 5:19:28 AM PDT by Red Badger
'This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory.'
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SpaceX's next astronaut mission won't get off the ground this month after all.
Crew-9, SpaceX's ninth operational flight to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA, had been targeted to lift off on Aug. 18. But it has been pushed back to no earlier than Sept. 24, the agency announced today (Aug. 6).
"This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory," NASA said in an update this afternoon.
Crew Flight Test (CFT) is the first-ever astronaut mission of Boeing's new Starliner capsule. It launched June 5, carrying NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS for a planned weeklong stay.
Starliner is still up there, however. The capsule experienced several issues on its way to the orbiting lab — most notably, the failure of five of its 28 reaction control system thrusters. CFT team members have been studying the problem ever since, trying to determine if and when Starliner can safely return Williams and Wilmore to Earth.
That work is still underway.
"NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft's readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner's return," NASA officials said in today's update.
We may get more clarity on Wednesday (Aug. 7): NASA will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) "with agency leadership to discuss ongoing operations, including NASA's Crew-9, Crew-8, and Crew Flight Test missions."
SpaceX's Crew-8 flight is gearing up to return to Earth; it arrived at the ISS in early March, delivering four astronauts to the orbiting lab for a roughly six-month stay.
The Crew-9 astronauts are commander Zena Cardman, pilot Nick Hague, mission specialist Stephanie Wilson and mission specialist Alexsandr Gorbunov. Cardman, Hague and Wilson are NASA astronauts, whereas Gorbunov represents Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
That's just damned sad.
Side note: we have a Prayer Group in our company (a Boeing competitor), that meets once a week to lift our company up in prayer, and we have begun praying fervently for Boeing - her collapse is bad for our industry and our country,
Only so many holes to dock with.
How’s that focus on moozlum outreach working for NASA? That and DEI are really a winning combination apparently. NASA has become a job’s program with accompanying expected results.
That’s my whole life story right there...................😏
Put them in spacesuits(if they have working ones) and let them come back on a cargo dragon
A traffic jam in space...SMH
I dunno. Occupying a docking bay for three months... What are they going to learn about Starliner’s condition and exploring solutions for a safe return that they haven’t learned already? Why not bring the Starliner back to earth and study its remains here? Then contract with SpaceX (or the Russians or whoever can) to bring the crew home safely?
This crew may end up beating the space time record of 437 days... Like... Awesome for them... They get to hangout in space.
The longer Starliner stays the worst it will get
Incredible. Can’t they hitch a ride with Crew 8 returning soon? That sounds like a full house already but good grief, make room for them. I would have gone stir crazy long before now...
The reports yesterday are that the capsule not only cannot return unmanned, but cannot be detached from the space station unless there is a crew member inside at the controls
The situation boils down to an engineering quandry......
StarSquatter - Cause Diversity!
Why not bring the Starliner back to earth and study its remains here?
I think that’s the problem.
They can‘t. The Boeing junk ain’t going. It’s broke, Jim.
There’s still the question of what to do with the Boeing craft.
It can’t un-dock itself. It has to have a person onboard to initiate the controls.
SpaceX can’t arrive until it’s gone......................
SpaceX will get a de-orbit contract for Starliner as well ?
The astronauts should hold out for a safer ride home. Down is the hard part.
😂👍
Send up 250 miles of rope.....................
I don’t know.
What I think I know is that there is far more going on here than meets the eye
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