Posted on 08/15/2024 7:05:36 AM PDT by Salman
NASA needs to decide by the end of August whether to return two astronauts to Earth aboard Boeing's Starliner, which flew them to the International Space Station (ISS), or bring them home on a SpaceX craft, officials said Wednesday.
NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams blasted off for the ISS on Starliner on June 5 for what was meant to be an eight-day stay.
But their return has been delayed by thruster malfunctions that came to light during the first crewed mission to the ISS by the Boeing spacecraft.
NASA officials, at a press conference on Wednesday, said they were still analyzing thruster data, but a decision on whether to use Starliner or Boeing's rival SpaceX was looming.
"We're reaching a point where that last week in August we really should be making a call, if not sooner," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate.
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(Excerpt) Read more at spacedaily.com ...
Not a sure thing officially yet, but ...
They found work for these two to do while they’re stuck there, right?
They’re not just sitting around, I hope.
When DEI surfaces and endangers lives.
Outreach NASA...
Perhaps they could help count ballots on Nov 5 (and Nov 6, Nov 7, ...)
NASA better make up its mind soon or Congress will have to pass a law defining benefits for retirees in space.
Giligan’s Island...3 hour tour.
Better call Elon
As I understand it they only have two docking ports. If one is permanently blocked that just leaves one. What happens when that one gets damaged or blocked?
Used to be when someone was a “rocket scientist” they were the top in their field, now days perhaps not. I guess a few billions of dollars don’t buy much anymore.
Space Oddity (David Bowie).
Hopefully they will bring in the competent engineers that were once fired or overlooked due to the color of their skin and/or gender and get the job done.
And done right.
If NASA and DoD retirees start deciding to sign on with Spacex instead of Boeing, Boeing is history.
Yep, they’re washing the exterior and giving it high shine.
Those engineers are long gone and not coming back.
As they say in the military and what the younger generation is being forced to learn - "embrace the suck".
When the leaky hulk managed to get docked, I’m sure that it was clear to at least one person in the decisionmaking chain that it wasn’t fit for further crewed flight — but everyone else (meaning Boeing and its corrupt advocates in and out of gubmint) have been insisting on “further tests” and “data gathering”.
Boeing sent it up without the software for automated (unmanned) undocking and/or reentry. The company should be fined for that, and IMHO someone needs some prison time for making that decision.
And, needless to say, the Starliner should be defunded.
NASA/Congress has been on a roll — they want to return to the Moon, so that fine new rover got built after many years and $400 million, then sending it to the Moon was cancelled.
The STS is (allegedly) capable of going to the Moon, but without a lander. This may be related to the no-trip-for-the-new-rover fiasco.
This BS started almost the day Zero was in office, when the Bush-era system for lunar return had its plugged pulled, despite being well along in development and capability. It was given a flight test, then the whole thing was scrapped by Obama’s POS appointee.
Y’know, I’m not old enough to have seen this, but...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043581/
I believe that they are using an Artificial Intelligence to decide their fate:
Regards,
But as far as I can tell, they're considering allowing the SpaceX astronauts to spend their entire scheduled time onboard the ISS before giving the stranded astronauts a ride back to Earth.
Actually both docking ports are in use right now, one by SpaceX Dragon and one by the NASA/Boeing POS. Schedules have already been disrupted and it will be a mess straightening things out. NASA should just cancel Boeings @$$ they have wasted billions of taxpayer dollars through shear incompetence. And if I recall their oh so special craft is incapable of returning without a crew and unsafe to return a crew. Cut our losses now, de orbit that Boeing POS and contract with.....yeah contract with who? Not Bezos, his company is as bad as Boeings! Looks like for some time yet it's SpaceX or a CRAP shoot.
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