Wednesday, June 05, 2024

Russian cyber criminal gang behind ransomware attack on London hospitals that forced cancellation of major surgeries

5 June 2024, 10:11


Russian cyber criminal gang behind ransomware attack on London hospitals that forced cancellation of major surgeries. Picture: Alamy

By Christian Oliver

Russian cyber criminals are behind a ransomware attack affecting London's hospitals that has prevented patients from undergoing major surgeries and blood transfusions.

A "critical incident" has since been declared that has led to a "severe reduction in capacity" since the attack midday Monday.

Memos to NHS staff at King's College Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas', the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children's Hospital, as well as primary care services in the capital, said there had been a "major IT incident".

Former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre Ciaran Martin said the Russians were behind the attack which targetted London's NHS services though pathology firm Synnovis.

"We believe it is a Russian group of cyber criminals who call themselves Qilin," Mr Martin said.


Ciaran Martin during an international panel discussion on global cyber issues in Glasgow. Picture: Alamy

"These criminal groups - there are quite a few of them - they operate freely from within Russia, they give themselves high-profile names, they've got websites on the so-called dark web, and this particular group has about a two-year history of attacking various organisations across the world," he told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.

"They've done automotive companies, they've attacked the Big Issue here in the UK, they've attacked Australian courts. They're simply looking for money."

He said it is "unlikely" the Russian hackers would have known they would cause such serious primary healthcare disruption when they set out to do the attack.

He added: "There are two types of ransomware attack. One is when they steal a load of data and they try and extort you into paying so that isn't released, but this case is different. It's the more serious type of ransomware where the system just doesn't work.

"So, if you're working in healthcare in this trust, you're just not getting those results so it's actually seriously disruptive. "This type of ransomware has affected healthcare all over the world.

"It's particularly damaging in the United States, and where this type of cyber attack is different in terms of its impact from others, is that it does affect people's healthcare. So it's really one of the more serious that we've seen in this country."

He said the Government has a policy of not paying but the company would be free to pay the ransom if it chose to. Regarding patient data, he said: "It's not really a question of data in this one, it's a question of the services.

"The criminals are threatening to publish data, but they always do that. Here the priority is the restoration of services."


Ambulance Entrance of A&E at King's College Hospital, London. Picture: Alamy

Synnovis is a provider of pathology services and was formed from a partnership between SynLab UK & Ireland, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Some procedures and operations at the hospitals have been cancelled or have been redirected to other NHS providers as hospital bosses establish what work can be carried out safely.

NHS officials said they are working with the National Cyber Security Centre to understand the impact of the attack. Synnovis said the incident has been reported to law enforcement and the Information Commissioner.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said on Wednesday that her "absolute priority is patient safety".

On social media site X, formerly Twitter, Ms Atkins wrote: "Throughout yesterday I had meetings with NHS England and the National Cyber Security Centre to oversee the response to the cyber attack on pathology services in south-east London.

"My absolute priority is patient safety and the safe resumption of services in the coming days."

The Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported one senior NHS manager saying: "It's everyone's worst nightmare. The difficulty will be that when you have total system downtime, the volumes of tests will be huge. Even if you could transport samples around London to other labs how would you get the results back as they are not integrated in that way?

"Urgent tests will have to be managed onsite. They will no doubt be asking GPs to send urgent tests only, to manage volumes."

Another source told the HSJ the attack presented a huge problem for urgent and emergency care at the hospitals as they would not be able to access quick-turnaround blood test results.

Synnovis said on Wednesday it was unable to comment further on the attack but confirmed a taskforce of IT experts from the firm and the NHS were working to fully assess the impact and what action is needed.

A spokesman for NHS England London region said on Tuesday that Monday's incident was "having a significant impact" on the delivery of services at Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and primary care services in south-east London.

 

Fears NHS cyber attack impact on London hospitals 'will last weeks' as operations and blood transfusions cancelled


Main entrance to Guy's Hospital
Main entrance to Guy's Hospital. Picture: Alamy 

By Kit Heren

4 June 2024,

The impact of a cyber attack on NHS hospitals in London that has seen operations cancelled and delayed blood transfusions is set to last for weeks.

A critical incident was declared on Tuesday at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Kings College hospitals, which cancelled operations.

Staff were unable to access an IT system needed for blood transfusions.

The IT hack is affecting the systems used at the Royal Brompton, heart and lung specialist Harefield Hospital, Guy's, St Thomas' & King's College hospitals.

Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals have been forced to cancel all transplant surgeries. Nearby hospitals in London are accepting extra patients.

GP surgeries in the London boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark and Lambeth are also affected.

Read more: Critical incident declared as London hospitals cancel operations due to 'cyber attack'

Read more: Junior doctors timed strikes days before election to coincide with Labour's NHS announcement, Health Sec suggests

London, UK.  4 June 2024.  A general view of the exterior of St Thomas’ Hospital
London, UK. 4 June 2024. A general view of the exterior of St Thomas’ Hospital. Picture: Alamy

And the impact of the hack could last for "weeks, rather than days", according to Ben Clover, bureau chief at the Health Service Journal, an industry publication.

He told LBC: "This is one of the things that is so disturbing to my contacts in the NHS is that you can have IT failures within a hospital [and] they usually get fixed fairly quickly."

"People are expecting this to take weeks, rather than days, so it’s a really, really worrying time."

Read more: Three newborn babies who were found dumped in parks in London over seven years belong to the same parents

Read more: Man plucked to safety from crane as fire rages at building site in Canning Town in east London

The cyber attack affected IT system run by private company Synnovis, which apologised for the incident.

Roy Lilley, a health service analyst, said: "This system is responsible for not only the distribution of blood and blood products, but also pathology.

"Pathology is where you go when you need blood tests and all the other tests done, urine and so on, and in a modern hospital you can’t move really without pathology tests."

Earlier, the CEO of Guy’s and St Thomas’ wrote to stage saying there was a ‘critical incident’ affected pathology services.

“This is having a major impact on the delivery of our services, with blood transfusions being particularly affected.

In a statement Mark Dollar, Synnovis CEO, said: "On Monday June 3, Synnovis – a partnership between two London-based hospital Trusts and SYNLAB - was the victim of a ransomware cyberattack. This has affected all Synnovis IT systems, resulting in interruptions to many of our pathology services.

"It is still early days and we are trying to understand exactly what has happened. A taskforce of IT experts from Synnovis and the NHS is working to fully assess the impact this has had, and to take the appropriate action needed. We are working closely with NHS Trust partners to minimise the impact on patients and other service users.

"Regrettably this is affecting patients, with some activity already cancelled or redirected to other providers as urgent work is prioritised. We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience and upset this is causing to patients, service users and anyone else affected. We are doing our best to minimise the impact and will stay in touch with local NHS services to keep people up to date with developments.

"We take cybersecurity very seriously at Synnovis and have invested heavily in ensuring our IT arrangements are as safe as they possibly can be. This is a harsh reminder that this sort of attack can happen to anyone at any time and that, dispiritingly, the individuals behind it have no scruples about who their actions might affect.

"The incident is being reported to law enforcement and the Information Commissioner, and we are working with the National Cyber Security Centre and the Cyber Operations Team. We will share further updates as we know more, but regret that we are unable to respond to individual queries from the media at this time – thank you for your understanding."

“Some activity has already been cancelled or redirected to other providers at short notice as we prioritise the clinical work that we are able to safely carry out.”

Clinical staff were told that “our pathology partner Synnovis experienced a major IT incident earlier today.”

The husband of a patient asked yesterday: "My wife has a phlebotomy appointment at 7.40am for gestational diabetes checks amongst other things.

"She received a text at 7pm this evening saying phlebotomy services are cancelled until further notice. What can she do? Is the appt still taking place? Really poor comms."

A spokesman for King's College Hospital in London confirmed it was affected by the cyber attack.

The incident is thought to have occurred on Monday, meaning some departments could not connect to their main server. In a letter to staff, King's said the "major IT incident" was having a major impact on the delivery of services, with blood transfusions particularly affected.

Some procedures have been cancelled or redirected to other NHS providers, it said.


Russian hackers responsible for London hospitals cyber attack, expert says

by Sofia Villegas
05 June 2024
@SofiaVillegas_1


Russian gang could be behind major cyber attack on NHS hospitals | Alamy

Ther former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, claims a Russian cyber gang is behind the cyber attack that has affected major London hospitals.

Martin said the group, known as Qilin, has a “two-year history” of attacking organisation across the globe.

Yesterday, King’s College hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trusts, including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London children’s hospital, confirmed they had been hit by the cyber breach on pathology service firm Synnovis.

The incident led to operations being cancelled and patients being redirected while staff were also unable to conduct blood transfusions.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Martin said: “These criminal groups – there are quite a few of them – they operate freely from within Russia, they give themselves high-profile names, they’ve got websites on the so-called dark web, and this particular group has about a two-year history of attacking various organisations across the world.

“They’ve done automotive companies, they’ve attacked the Big Issue here in the UK, they’ve attacked Australian courts. They’re simply looking for money.”

He added it was “unlikely” the Russian cyber group would have known they would cause such serious primary healthcare disruption when they set out to do the attack.

He continued: “There are two types of ransomware attack. One is when they steal a load of data and they try and extort you into paying so that isn’t released, but this case is different. It’s the more serious type of ransomware where the system just doesn’t work.

“So, if you’re working in healthcare in this trust, you’re just not getting those results so it’s actually seriously disruptive.

“This type of ransomware has affected healthcare all over the world.

“It’s particularly damaging in the United States, and where this type of cyber attack is different in terms of its impact from others, is that it does affect people’s healthcare. So, it’s really one of the more serious that we’ve seen in this country.”

He said the government had a policy of not paying but Synnovis would be free to pay the ransom if it chose to.

“The criminals are threatening to publish data, but they always do that. Here, the priority is the restoration of services,” he added.

UK health secretary Victoria Atkins has confirmed via X that she has met with NHS England and the National Cyber Security Centre to oversee the response to the cyber-attack on pathology services in south-east London.


Critical incident over London hospitals' cyber-attack

St Thomas’, including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, is among the affected trusts

Major hospitals in London have declared a critical incident after a cyber-attack led to operations being cancelled and emergency patients being diverted elsewhere.

It applies to hospitals partnered with Synnovis - a provider of pathology services.

King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ - including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital - and primary care services are among those affected.

The incident has had a "major impact" on the delivery of services, especially blood transfusions and test results.


It is thought to have happened on Monday, meaning some departments could not connect to a main server.

Some procedures have been cancelled or have been redirected to other NHS providers as the hospitals try to establish what work can be carried out safely.

The NHS said emergency care continued to be available.

GP services across Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark and Lambeth boroughs have also been affected.

A spokesperson from Synnovis said the company had sent in a "taskforce of IT experts" to "fully assess" the impact.

The NHS apologised for the inconvenience and said it was working with the National Cyber Security Centre to understand the impact.

'Go home and wait'

One patient, Oliver Dowson, 70, was prepared for an operation from 06:00 at the Royal Brompton. He was told by a surgeon at about 12:30 that it would not be going ahead.

“The staff on the ward didn’t seem to know what had happened, just that many patients were being told to go home and wait for a new date," he said.

“I’ve been given a date for next Tuesday and am crossing my fingers.

"It’s not the first time that they have cancelled, but that was probably staff shortages in half-term week.”

NHS computer issues linked to patient harm


Hospital IT system warning after 'preventable' death


Q&A: Electronic care records


Vanessa Welham from Streatham, south-west London, said her husband's blood test at Gracefield Gardens health centre was cancelled on Monday evening.

"My husband received a text message last night advising his appointment this morning had been cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control, and that all major south London hospitals are unable to take any bookings for an indefinite period of time.

"He went on to the Swift website and made a new appointment - the earliest available was June 17, but that's probably questionable."

'Incredibly sorry'


A spokesperson for NHS England London region confirmed Synnovis was the victim of a ransomware cyber attack.

“Emergency care continues to be available, so patients should access services in the normal way, and patients should continue to attend appointments unless they are told otherwise," they said.

"We will continue to provide updates about the impact on services and how patients can continue to get the care they need."

A spokesperson for Synnovis said: "We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience and upset this is causing to patients, service users and anyone else affected.

"We are doing our best to minimise the impact and will stay in touch with local NHS services to keep people up to date with developments."

'Harsh reminder'


The spokesperson added it had "invested heavily" in "ensuring our IT arrangements are as safe as they possibly can be".

"This is a harsh reminder that this sort of attack can happen to anyone at any time and that, dispiritingly, the individuals behind it have no scruples about who their actions might affect.

"The incident is being reported to law enforcement and the Information Commissioner, and we are working with the National Cyber Security Centre and the Cyber Operations Team."

Cyber security expert Steve Sands, from the Chartered Institute for IT, said ransomware threat was now an "ever-present danger to critical institutions from schools to hospitals".

He added: “Of course, the perpetrators have no conscience, and they will attack any organisation whose cyber defences are not sufficiently robust.

“We need to ensure that all public sector organisations have contingency plans in place to manage cyber attacks, that staff are regularly trained on risk and there is sufficient investment in software resilience.

“Whoever forms the next government needs to make sure the NHS has this resource and that it is spent correctly, to ensure that lives are not put at risk.”



The government said it was providing support

Prof Awais Rashid, head of the Bristol Cyber Security Group at the University of Bristol, said digital infrastructures were often a complex combination of many different systems and third-party service providers.

"Hence, cyber-attacks can have significant and substantial cascading impacts as we are seeing in this unfolding situation where critical health services are being impacted."

A government spokesperson said patient safety was its priority and support was being provided to the company.

"We are working [with Synnovis] to minimise the impact on services for a number of NHS organisations in south-east London."

BB C


Essential Geopolitics: Global Implications of Russia's Sabotage Campaign

Jun 1, 2024 | 09:00 GMT

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE Director of Analysis Sam Lichtenstein provides an overview of recent Russian-linked sabotage incidents in Europe and discusses likely scenarios for the campaign's evolution.

RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.


Biden’s new border restrictions will have ‘serious human consequences,’ Catholic leaders say

By John Lavenburg
CRUX
Jun 5, 2024|
National Correspondent

NEW YORK – While President Joe Biden touts new executive actions that limit illegal immigration as necessary to gain control of the southern border, Catholic leaders argue the president’s decision disregards U.S. asylum law, and will have serious human consequences.

Most notably, Biden’s executive actions will bar migrants who cross the southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum, at least until the numbers of people trying to enter are reduced to meet certain thresholds. Migrants who apply at ports of entry are exempt from the new rules.

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on Migration, said in a June 4 statement that the conference is “deeply disturbed” by Biden’s executive actions, and called on the president to “reverse course and recommit his administration to policies that respect the human life and dignity of migrants, both within and beyond our borders.”

Seitz argues that while a country has a right and responsibility to maintain its borders and regulate immigration, it cannot come at the expense of humanitarian needs of those who flee their countries.

“As defenders of human life and dignity, which we hold sacred and inviolable from the moment of conception, we cannot accept unjust conditions on the right to migrate for those fleeing life-threatening situations,” Seitz said. “We especially worry for those compelled by these policies to traverse more treacherous terrain, further endangering their lives and the lives of Border Patrol agents.”

Seitz said the conference shares the concerns of those worried about violent gangs, drug smugglers, and human traffickers entering the country. However, he argues that these kinds of executive actions will only empower and embolden these criminal actors, and put migrants at more of a risk.

“Imposing arbitrary limits on asylum access and curtailing due process will only empower and embolden those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable,” Seitz said. “These measures will not sustainably reduce the increased levels of forced migration seen worldwide.”

Speaking to Crux about Biden’s executive actions on June 4, Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley – the charitable branch of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas – said they will have serious human consequences.

“Today, President Biden issued a regulation that will curtail the ability of certain people to access asylum,” Pimentel said. “While the regulation will not impact all people crossing our border – it exempts those applying at ports of entry – it will have serious human consequences and will greatly limit vulnerable people from accessing protection.”

Biden announced the slew of border security measures on June 4, a few weeks after bipartisan immigration legislation again failed to pass in Congress. In June 4 remarks, Biden said the actions will “help gain control of our border, and restore order to the process.”

“We must face a simple truth that to protect America as a land that welcomes immigrants we must first secure the border and secure it now,” Biden said. “The simple truth is there is a worldwide migrant crisis, and if the United States doesn’t secure our border, there is no limit to the number of people who might try to come here because there’s no better place on the planet than the United States of America.”

The move, however, comes as the number of migrant encounters at the southern border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have declined through the first part of 2024. After a record 301,980 encounters in December 2023, monthly totals for January-April have not surpassed 190,000, according to US CBP data. While still high, those figures are in general lower than those of recent years.

Pimentel questioned Biden’s move in-part for that reason. She said “numbers have been the lowest in many years” at the CCRGV’s Humanitarian Respite Center.

“My first reaction was that I don’t understand the purpose of him doing this because the actual number of people coming to the country that are allowed to remain in the country is very few,” Pimentel said. “A great number of people who attempt to enter are sent back home.”

Biden blamed Congressional Republicans for his decision, saying that they blocked the “strongest border security agreement in decades” only because former President Donald Trump told them to. Even with the executive actions, Biden still said it’s imperative for Congress to act to provide the necessary funding to hire thousands of border workers – border patrol agents, immigration judges, and asylum officers.

Pimentel acknowledged, as well, that Biden’s actions are a direct consequence of Congressional inaction.

“This enforcement-only action by the Administration saddens me but is also a direct consequence of years of bipartisan Congressional inaction. Congress must act,” Pimentel said. “As the bishops have long said – we must pass comprehensive immigration reform. Through legislative reform we can achieve meaningful change that upholds our values and also enhances our security.”

Pimentel also noted that these actions will not change the work of the church at the border.

“Our focus at the [Humanitarian Respite Center], CCRGV, and the diocese remains the same – to assist, accompany and serve vulnerable families who are seeking protection as they are all God’s children,” Pimentel said. “Today’s events will not change the work we do nor the people we serve. The Catholic Church will be here and in Mexico to assist.”

Archbishop Gustavo Garciá-Siller of San Antonio told Crux that he, too, is disappointed in the actions.

“While recognizing the near impossibility of passing meaningful comprehensive immigration reform prior to the November election, the U.S. bishops continue to call for common sense solutions which seek to realistically address the situations of those seeking entry in this country, including working with other countries on the root causes for the mass exodus of their people, García-Siller said in a statement.

Other Catholic immigration advocates denounced Biden’s executive actions, as well.

Dylan Corbett, the executive director of the Hope Border Institute migrant ministry in El Paso, Texas, said the executive actions are a “real step backward in our nation’s commitment to human rights and asylum protections as well as humane and orderly process at the border.”

Anna Gallagher, the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, meanwhile, said in a statement that the executive actions are “dangerous, immoral, and illegal.” Questions have surfaced about the legality of Biden’s executive actions. Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, has already said the organization intends to sue.

Biden’s news conference announcing his executive actions lasted about 10 minutes. At the end, he had a message for those who argue the steps he has taken are too strict.

“I say to you, ‘be patient,’ and the goodwill of the American people is wearing thin right now,” Biden said. “Doing nothing is not an option. We have to act. We must act both consistent with our laws and our values, our values as Americans.”

Follow John Lavenburg on X: @johnlavenburg

SPACE


Faulty system causes NASA to permanently change how Hubble Space Telescope points at its targets


The world's most famous space telescope will operate with only one gyroscope from now on.

Iain Todd
BBC
Published: June 5, 2024 


NASA is making a fundamental change to how the Hubble Space Telescope orientates itself to focus in on its targets.

The change affects Hubble's gyroscopes, which are the instruments that enable Hubble to swing up and down, left and right to focus in on a particular planet, nebulagalaxy or star cluster.

Gyros contain an internal wheel that spins at 19,200 revolutions per minute, enabling Hubble to change the direction in which it is pointing (known as 'slewing' in astronomy).


The space telescope would normally operate with 6 gyros, which were newly installed during the final Hubble servicing mission in 2009.

Out of the original six, just three gyros remain active, and the Hubble Space Telescope will now operate with only one

.
NASA astronauts Mike Massimino and Michael Good carry out refurbishments on the Hubble Space Telescope during the final Hubble servicing mission, May 2009. 
Credit: NASA


Why Hubble is moving down to one gyro


Over the past six months, one of Hubble's gyros has consistently given the NASA ground team on Earth faulty readings.

This has caused Hubble to enter 'safe mode' and led to a suspension of science observations.

The faulty gyro is experiencing something called 'saturation', NASA says, which means it's giving the Hubble science team readings that indicate the 'maximum slew rate' possible, regardless of how quickly the telescope is actually slewing.

And while Hubble engineers have been able to reset the gyro's electronics and return it to normal operations, this measure has proved only temporarily, with the gyro quickly returning to giving out false readings.


So, NASA has made the decision to operate Hubble with just one gyro for the rest of its operational life

.
Diagram showing the elements of Hubble’s Pointing Control System, including its gyros, which enable the telescope to slew to particular targets. Credit: NASA
How will one-gyro mode affect Hubble?

This one-gyro mode is not completely out of the blue: NASA had developed such a backup plan over 20 years ago as a means to extend the Hubble Space Telescope's lifespan.

NASA says "Hubble uses three gyros to maximise efficiency but can continue to make science observations with only one gyro," stating it's the "best operational mode to prolong Hubble’s life and allow it to successfully provide consistent science with fewer than three working gyros."

Naturally, however, there will be limitations.

In one-gyro mode, Hubble will need more time to slew and locate a target.

It won't have as much observing flexibility, meaning there will be be limitations as to where it can point at any given time.

And it will not be able to track moving objects closer than Mars.

One-gyro mode will change how Hubble points at distant objects like galaxies but, says NASA, won't affect its ability to make discoveries.
 Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Acknowledgement: L. Shatz

What next?


Hubble engineers now need to work on reconfiguring the spacecraft and ground system, but also to consider whether this new operational mode will affect planned future observing projects.

Astronomers around the world apply for time using the Hubble Space Telescope to complete their observing projects, so the question is whether any of these projects might be affected by the telescope's new one-gyro mode.

Science operations are expected to resume by mid-June, says NASA.

"Once in one-gyro mode, NASA anticipates Hubble will continue making new cosmic discoveries alongside other observatories, such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope and future Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, for years to come."


Iain Tod
Science journalist
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor. He fell in love with the night sky when he caught his first glimpse of Orion, aged 10.


Boeing launches Nasa astronauts for the first time after years of delays

5 June 2024, 17:04

Boeing Astronaut Launch
Boeing Astronaut Launch. Picture: PA

Wednesday’s launch was the third attempt with astronauts since early May.

Boeing launched astronauts for the first time on Wednesday, belatedly joining SpaceX as a second taxi service for Nasa.

Two Nasa test pilots blasted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for the International Space Station, the first to fly the new spacecraft.

The trip by Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams was expected to take 25 hours.

They will spend just over a week at the orbiting lab before climbing back into Starliner for a remote desert touchdown in the western US on June 14.

“Let’s get going,” Mr Wilmore called out minutes before liftoff.

Half an hour later, he and Ms Williams were safely in orbit and giving chase to the space station.

Back at Cape Canaveral, the relieved launch controllers stood and applauded. After all the trouble leading up to Wednesday’s launch, including two scrapped countdowns, everything seemed to go smoothly before and during liftoff.

Years late because of spacecraft flaws, Starliner’s crew debut comes as the company struggles with unrelated safety issues on its aeroplane side.

The astronauts stressed repeatedly before the launch that they had full confidence in Boeing’s ability to get it right with this test flight.

Crippled by bad software, Starliner’s initial test flight in 2019 without a crew had to be repeated before Nasa would let its astronauts strap in.

The 2022 attempt went much better, but parachute problems later cropped up and flammable tape had to be removed from the capsule.

Wednesday’s launch was the third attempt with astronauts since early May, coming after a pair of rocket-related problems, most recently last weekend.

A small helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system also caused delays, but managers decided the leak was manageable and not a safety issue.

“I know it’s been a long road to get here,” Nasa’s commercial crew programme manager Steve Stich said before the weekend delay.

Boeing was hired alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX a decade ago to ferry Nasa’s astronauts to and from the space station.

The space agency wanted two competing US companies for the job in the wake of the space shuttles’ retirement, paying 4.2 billion dollars (£3.3 billion) to Boeing and just over half that to SpaceX, which refashioned the capsule it was using to deliver station supplies.

Boeing Astronaut Launch
Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore, right and Suni Williams wait for liftoff (Nasa/AP)

SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit in 2020, becoming the first private business to achieve what only three countries – Russia, the US and China – had mastered.

It has taken nine crews to the space station for Nasa and three private groups for a Texas company that charters flights.

The lift-off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was the 100th of an Atlas V for rocket maker United Launch Alliance.

It was the first ride for astronauts on an Atlas rocket since John Glenn’s Mercury era more than 60 years ago; the rocket usually launches satellites and other spacecraft.

Despite the Atlas V’s perfect record, the human presence cranked up the tension for the scores of Nasa and Boeing employees gathered at Cape Canaveral and Mission Control in Houston.

Boeing Astronaut Launch
Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams (Chris O’Meara/AP)

Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon are designed to be fully autonomous and reusable.

Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams occasionally will take manual control of Starliner on their way to the space station, to check out its systems.

If the mission goes well, Nasa will alternate between SpaceX and Boeing for taxi flights, beginning next year. The backup pilot for this test flight, Mike Fincke, will strap in for Starliner’s next trip.

“When you have a new spacecraft, you need to learn all about it and this has been a great exercise,” Mr Fincke told reporters late last week.

By Press Association



Take three for Boeing Starliner crewed launch attempt


Cape Canaveral (AFP) – Boeing will be hoping the third time's a charm on Wednesday as they try once more to launch astrona
uts aboard a Starliner capsule bound for the International Space Station.


Issued on: 05/06/2024 - 
Liftoff is targeting for 10:52 am (1452 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for about a one week stay at the orbital laboratory 
© Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP/File

Liftoff is targeted for 10:52 am (1452 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, for a roughly one-week stay at the orbital laboratory.

The last attempt, on Saturday, was dramatically aborted with less than four minutes left of the countdown as the ground launch computer went into an automatic hold.

The problem was later traced to a faulty power supply source connected to the computer, with the malfunctioning unit since replaced.

And a buzzy valve on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket scuppered a previous attempt on May 6, a few hours before launch.

In both cases, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were strapped in and ready to go, only to be forced to return to strict quarantine in their quarters.

The Starliner program has already been beset by years of safety scares and delays, and a successful mission would offer Boeing a much-needed reprieve from the intense safety concerns surrounding its passenger jets.

NASA meanwhile is looking to certify Boeing as a second commercial operator to ferry crews to the ISS -- something Elon Musk's SpaceX has already been doing for the US space agency for four years.


Embarrassing setbacks


Both companies received multibillion-dollar contracts in 2014 to develop their crew capsules, following the end of the Space Shuttle program that left the US temporarily reliant on Russian rockets for rides.

Boeing, with its 100-year history, was heavily favored, but its program fell badly behind.

Setbacks ranged from a software bug that put the spaceship on a bad trajectory on its first uncrewed test, to the discovery that the cabin was filled with flammable electrical tape after the second.

While teams worked to replace the faulty rocket valve that postponed the previous launch attempt, a small helium leak located in one of Starliner's thrusters came to light.

Rather than replace the seal, which would require taking the spaceship apart in its factory, NASA and Boeing officials declared it safe enough to fly as is.

When they do fly, Wilmore and Williams will be charged with putting Starliner through the wringer, including taking manual control of the spacecraft on its way to the ISS.

During their stay on the research platform, the crew will carry out more tests, including simulating whether the ship can be used as a safe haven in the event of problems on the orbital outpost.

After undocking, Starliner will re-enter the atmosphere and carry out a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the western United States.

© 2024 AFP


EXCITEMENT STILL GUARANTEED —

SpaceX is about to launch Starship again—the FAA will be more forgiving this time

The FAA has approved a license for SpaceX's fourth Starship launch, set for Thursday.


STEPHEN CLARK - 6/4/2024, ARS TECHNICA

Enlarge / The rocket for SpaceX's fourth full-scale Starship test flight awaits liftoff from Starbase, the company's private launch base in South Texas.
SpaceX60

The Federal Aviation Administration approved the commercial launch license for the fourth test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket Tuesday, with liftoff from South Texas targeted for just after sunrise Thursday.

"The FAA has approved a license authorization for SpaceX Starship Flight 4," the agency said in a statement. "SpaceX met all safety and other licensing requirements for this test flight."

Shortly after the FAA announced the launch license, SpaceX confirmed plans to launch the fourth test flight of the world's largest rocket at 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) Thursday. The launch window runs for two hours.

This flight follows three prior demonstration missions, each progressively more successful, of SpaceX's privately-developed mega-rocket. The last time Starship flew—on March 14—it completed an eight-and-a-half minute climb into space, but the ship was unable to maneuver itself as it coasted nearly 150 miles (250 km) above Earth. This controllability problem caused the rocket to break apart during reentry.

On Thursday's flight, SpaceX officials will expect the ascent portion of the test flight to be similarly successful as the launch in March. The objectives this time will be to demonstrate Starship's ability to survive the most extreme heating of reentry, when temperatures peak at 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius) as the vehicle plunges into the atmosphere at more than 20 times the speed of sound.

SpaceX officials also hope to see the Super Heavy booster guide itself toward a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico just offshore from the company's launch site, known as Starbase, in Cameron County, Texas.

"The fourth flight test turns our focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy," SpaceX wrote in an overview of the mission.

Last month, SpaceX completed a "wet dress rehearsal" at Starbase, where the launch team fully loaded the rocket with cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen propellants. Before the practice countdown, SpaceX test-fired the booster and ship at the launch site. More recently, technicians installed components of the rocket's self-destruct system, which would activate to blow up the rocket if it flies off course.

Then, on Tuesday, SpaceX lowered the Starship upper stage from the top of the Super Heavy booster, presumably to perform final touch-ups to ship's heat shield, comprised of 18,000 hexagonal ceramic tiles to protect its stainless-steel structure during reentry. Ground teams were expected to raise the ship, or upper stage, back on top of the booster some time Wednesday, returning the rocket to its full height of 397 feet (121 meters) ahead of Thursday morning's launch window.
The tick-tock of Starship's fourth flight

If all goes according to plan, SpaceX's launch team will start loading 10 million pounds of super-cold propellants into the rocket around 49 minutes before liftoff Thursday. The methane and liquid oxygen will first flow into the smaller tanks on the ship, then into the larger tanks on the booster.

The rocket should be fully loaded about three minutes prior to launch, and following a sequence of automated checks, the computer controlling the countdown will give the command to light the booster's 33 Raptor engines. Three seconds later, the rocket will begin its vertical climb off the launch mount, with its engines capable of producing more than 16 million pounds of thrust at full power.

Heading east from the Texas Gulf Coast, the rocket will exceed the speed of sound in about a minute, then begin shutting down its 33 main engines around 2 minutes and 41 seconds after liftoff. Then, just as the Super Heavy booster jettisons to begin a descent back to Earth, Starship's six Raptor engines will ignite to continue pushing the upper portion of the rocket into space. Starship's engines are expected to burn until T+plus 8 minutes, 23 seconds, accelerating the rocket to near orbital velocity with enough energy to fly an arcing trajectory halfway around the world to the Indian Ocean.Advertisement


All of this will be similar to the events of the last Starship launch in March. What differs in the flight plan this time involves the attempts to steer the booster and ship back to Earth. This is important to lay the groundwork for future flights, when SpaceX wants to bring the Super Heavy booster—the size of the fuselage of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet—to a landing back at its launch pad. Eventually, SpaceX also intends to recover reusable Starships back at Starbase or other spaceports.


Enlarge / This infographic released by SpaceX shows the flight profile for SpaceX's fourth Starship launch.
SpaceX

Based on the results of the March test flight, SpaceX still has a lot to prove in these areas. On that flight, the engines on the Super Heavy booster could not complete all the burns required to guide the rocket toward the splashdown zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The booster lost control as it plummeted toward the ocean.

Engineers traced the failure to blockage in a filter where liquid oxygen flows into the Raptor engines. Notably, a similar problem occurred on the second Starship test flight last November. The Super Heavy booster awaiting launch Thursday has additional hardware to improve propellant filtration capabilities, according to SpaceX. The company also implemented "operational changes" on the booster for the upcoming test flight, including jettison of the Super Heavy's staging ring, which sits between the booster and ship during launch, to reduce the rocket's mass during descent.

SpaceX has a lot of experience bringing back its fleet of Falcon 9 boosters. The company now boasts a streak of more than 240 successful rocket landings in a row, so it's reasonable to expect SpaceX will overcome the challenge of recovering the larger Super Heavy booster.
The thorny issue of tiles

Starship, however, is a different animal. Despite having fewer engines, SpaceX's ambitions for the ship require it to be immensely more complex than the booster. Ultimately, these goals for Starship include satellite deployments, interplanetary transportlandings on the Moon and Mars, and refueling in orbit. But first, SpaceX must show that Starship can reliably travel between Earth's surface and low-Earth orbit.

On Flight 3 in March, the Starship upper stage lost the ability to control its orientation after turning off its main engines upon reaching space. SpaceX said engineers determined this was due to clogged valves used by reaction control thrusters on the upper stage, and the company said it is adding additional roll control thrusters on upcoming Starships.

The roll control problem prevented SpaceX from achieving two test objectives on the last Starship test flight. One was an attempt to reignite one of the ship's Raptor engines in space, a capability that SpaceX must routinely use on future Starship flights. The other was the controlled reentry of the 165-foot-long (50-meter) upper stage. Without fully functioning thrusters, the ship fell back into the atmosphere in the wrong attitude, and SpaceX lost contact with the vehicle due to excess heating.

This time, SpaceX will try to keep it simple. Of course, simple is a relative term when it comes to spaceflight and Starship. On Flight 4, there's no planned restart of a Raptor engine while the ship is in space. The lack of such a test on this flight means the next launch—Flight 5—will likely target a similar suborbital trajectory, rather than going all the way into orbit. Presumably, SpaceX, and perhaps federal regulators, would first like to see Starship prove it can execute a braking burn to return to Earth, rather than putting the vehicle into orbit and having it reenter the atmosphere unguided if the engine start failed.Advertisement


This vehicle also doesn't have a payload bay door like the last Starship opened and closed in space. Instead, the ship will drift through space until its flight path brings it back into the upper atmosphere around 47 minutes into the flight.
Enlarge / This rear-facing camera on Starship shows plasma building up around the vehicle during reentry over the Indian Ocean on the vehicle's most recent test flight in March.
SpaceX

That's when the ceramic tiles that make up Starship's heat shield will get to work. The tiles, each about the size of a dinner plate, are similar in function to those used on NASA's space shuttle, in that they insulate the ship's primary structure from the blistering heat of reentry.

Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, wrote on X last week that gathering data on the tiles' performance in flight is vital.

"This is a matter of execution, rather than ideas," he wrote. "Unless we make the heat shield relatively heavy, as is the case with our Dragon capsule, where reliability is paramount, we will only discover the weak points by flying."

In order to make real Musk's lofty ambitions for a fully and rapidly reusable rocket, Starship's heat shield must be resilient and require little in the way of refurbishment between flights. SpaceX has a long way to go there.

"Right now, we are not resilient to loss of a single tile in most places, as the secondary containment material will probably not survive," Musk wrote. "This is a thorny issue indeed, given that vast resources have been applied to solve it, thus far to no avail."

If it survives the heat of reentry, Starship will descend into the lower atmosphere belly first and decelerate to subsonic speed under the control of aerodynamic flaps, similar to miniature wings. Finally, the ship will reignite a subset of its Raptor engines—probably two—and quickly flip from horizontal to vertical to settle into the waters of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Australia. If this happens, cue the champagne.
Regulatory waivers

The FAA also made some changes with the launch license for SpaceX's fourth Starship test flight that could speed up the process of issuing licenses for future launches.

With the first three Starship launches, the FAA license required SpaceX conduct a mishap investigation with federal oversight if the rocket failed to reach its destination intact. The outcome of the last test flight—Starship's breakup over the Indian Ocean—triggered such an investigation by SpaceX.

The FAA is charged with ensuring public safety during commercial space launches and reentries. In a Starship mishap investigation, the agency's role is to oversee the inquiry and accept the results of SpaceX's investigation before issuing a license for the next launch.

But this approach isn't congruent with SpaceX's roadmap for Starship development. SpaceX's iterative approach is rooted in test flights, where engineers learn what and what doesn't work, then try to quickly fix it and fly again. A crash, or two or three, is always possible, if not likely. The FAA is making an adjustment for this week's mission.

"As part of its request for license modification, SpaceX proposed three scenarios involving the Starship entry that would not require an investigation in the event of the loss of the vehicle," the FAA said in a statement.

Based on language in the code of federal regulations, the FAA has the option to approve these exceptions. The FAA accepted three possible outcomes for the upcoming Starship test flight that would not trigger what would likely be a months-long mishap investigation.

These exceptions include the failure of Starship's heat shield during reentry, if the ship's flap system is unable to provide sufficient control under high dynamic pressure, and the failure of the Raptor engine system during the landing burn. If one of these scenarios occurs, the FAA will not require a mishap investigation, provided there was no serious injury or fatality to anyone on the ground, no damage to unrelated property, and no debris outside designated hazard areas.

This change is quite significant for the FAA and SpaceX. It shows that federal regulators, suffering from staffing and funding shortages, are making moves to try and keep up with SpaceX's rapid, and often ever-changing, development of Starship.

"If a different anomaly occurs with the Starship vehicle, an investigation may be warranted, as well as if an anomaly occurs with the Super Heavy booster rocket," the FAA said.

STEPHEN CLARK is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet.