NOPE
ByKaren Graham
March 26, 2023
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission before automatically docking to the Harmony module's forward port on May 20, 2022. Source - Bob Hines/NASA, Public Domain
The first crewed mission was scheduled to launch in April but will now likely take place sometime this summer.
In a tweet on March 23, Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for space operations, said that Starliner’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission had been delayed to some time after the launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-2 private astronaut mission to the International Space Station in early May, reports SpaceNews.
Be that as it may, Boeing’s Starliner launch was originally scheduled for February then later moved to late April, and now likely will not happen until the summer.
“We’re adjusting the Space Station schedule including the launch date for our Boeing Crew Flight Test as teams assess readiness and complete verification work,” Lueders said in her Tweet.
It has been a long, rough ride for Boeing
From the very start, delivering a crew to the ISS as part of a $4.3 billion contract with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has been a rough ride for Boeing.
The plan was for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to transport astronauts back and forth to the ISS, the same way that NASA’s other commercial partner SpaceX does using its Dragon capsule.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is seen after it landed in White Sands, New Mexico, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. The landing completes an abbreviated Orbital Flight Test for the company that still meets several mission objectives for NASA’s Commercial Crew program. Source – NASA/Bill Ingalls, Public Domain
Boeing unveiled the plans for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft in 2010. The new design of the Starliner was intended to be compatible with multiple launch vehicles, including the ULA Atlas V and Delta IV, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 at the time
In the meantime, SpaceX has now successfully launched its sixth astronaut crew to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Al Neyad took off in a SpaceX Falcon rocket, headed toward the ISS on Thursday, March 2.
In May 2016, Boeing delayed its first scheduled Starliner launch from 2017 to early 2018. Then in October 2016, Boeing delayed its program by six months, from early 2018 to late 2018. At the time, Boeing was hoping to fly NASA astronauts to the ISS by December 2018.
At a February 17, 2023, briefing, NASA and Boeing officials said work was on schedule for a launch in mid to late April. At the time, the next major milestone was fueling the spacecraft, which officials said they wanted to do within 60 days of the scheduled launch.
There was a considerable amount of concern over the fueling because this is what delayed the vehicle’s second uncrewed test flight by more than 10 months. That fueling was scheduled to take place in early March.
Boeing unveiled the plans for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft in 2010. The new design of the Starliner was intended to be compatible with multiple launch vehicles, including the ULA Atlas V and Delta IV, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 at the time
In the meantime, SpaceX has now successfully launched its sixth astronaut crew to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Al Neyad took off in a SpaceX Falcon rocket, headed toward the ISS on Thursday, March 2.
In May 2016, Boeing delayed its first scheduled Starliner launch from 2017 to early 2018. Then in October 2016, Boeing delayed its program by six months, from early 2018 to late 2018. At the time, Boeing was hoping to fly NASA astronauts to the ISS by December 2018.
At a February 17, 2023, briefing, NASA and Boeing officials said work was on schedule for a launch in mid to late April. At the time, the next major milestone was fueling the spacecraft, which officials said they wanted to do within 60 days of the scheduled launch.
There was a considerable amount of concern over the fueling because this is what delayed the vehicle’s second uncrewed test flight by more than 10 months. That fueling was scheduled to take place in early March.
From left, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry“Butch” Wilmore, Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) backup spacecraft test pilot, pilot, and commander, respectively, exit the Astronaut Crew Quarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a crew validation test on Oct. 18, 2022. Source – NASA/Kim Shiflett, Public Domain
However, neither the company nor the agency had announced that fueling had taken place, and when asked about it, no clear answers were forthcoming.
“We are in the middle of final preps for the CFT flight, in the middle of closing out all of the certification work,” Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, said in a March 11 briefing after the splashdown of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission. That included the “final phases” of flight software testing, he said.
“We really need to step back here in March and take a look at where we’re at and determine what the next steps are,” he said. “Right now we’re targeting a no-earlier-than launch date of the end of April.”
Based on when the final test of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner finally takes place, The CFT will fly NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS for a mission scheduled to last eight days. It is the final flight test before NASA certifies the vehicle for use in ISS crew rotation missions starting no sooner than early 2024.
However, neither the company nor the agency had announced that fueling had taken place, and when asked about it, no clear answers were forthcoming.
“We are in the middle of final preps for the CFT flight, in the middle of closing out all of the certification work,” Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, said in a March 11 briefing after the splashdown of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission. That included the “final phases” of flight software testing, he said.
“We really need to step back here in March and take a look at where we’re at and determine what the next steps are,” he said. “Right now we’re targeting a no-earlier-than launch date of the end of April.”
Based on when the final test of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner finally takes place, The CFT will fly NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS for a mission scheduled to last eight days. It is the final flight test before NASA certifies the vehicle for use in ISS crew rotation missions starting no sooner than early 2024.
Nasa delays Boeing Starliner's debut crewed voyage
Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit.
Reuters
Washington,
Boeing has had no issues with Starliner's batteries during tests
Nasa has overseen Starliner's development under a $4.5 billion contract
By Reuters: Boeing's first mission carrying astronauts to space aboard its Starliner capsule has been delayed until at least the summer, a NASA official said on Thursday, as people familiar with the matter said last-minute tests and technical debates nixed a plan for an April launch.
Previously planned for late April, the Starliner mission is now slated to launch after a private astronaut mission scheduled for May "as teams assess readiness and complete verification work" for the spacecraft, NASA's space operations chief Kathy Lueders said on Twitter. She did not provide further details about reasons for the delay.
Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit. It represents the spacecraft's final testflight before joining rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule as the second NASA-approved ride to orbit.
Also Read | Leaky Russian Soyuz spacecraft to return home empty today
Steve Stich, head of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in an interview with Reuters before the delay was announced that the certification process for the spacecraft had taken "a little longer than we expected" and was "a whole lotta work."
A successful 10-day test mission with Starliner docked to the space station, an orbital research lab some 250 miles high in Earth's orbit, would mark a crucial milestone. Boeing has struggled to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX in the nascent market for private astronaut flights.
Finding a new launch date after April is complicated by heavy traffic at the space station over the next few months and a tight schedule for Starliner's launch provider, the Boeing-Lockheed (LMT.N) joint venture United Launch Alliance, Boeing and NASA officials have said.
The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft.
Boeing software engineers are running tests with Starliner's manual flight system used as a backup in case the spacecraft's automated flight software fails, Stich said.
A Boeing spokesman said the focus for that testing is for "added redundancy in cases of emergency."
Deliberations about mission-critical lithium ion batteries and the low chance they overheat while the spacecraft is docked to the station also took more time than expected, Stich said.
In a recent pre-flight technical meeting with Boeing and NASA officials, the space station's chief safety officer and representatives from NASA's astronaut office disagreed with Boeing's plans to proceed with the mission citing concerns over the batteries, according to a person who attended the meetings.
But those NASA officials eventually agreed with Boeing and others at the federal space agency that the chances of a battery mishap that would endanger the crew were low, said the person who requested anonymity to discuss preflight deliberations.
Boeing also is weighing battery redesigns and a plan to add shielding in case one overheats, Stich said. SpaceX, which has already flown seven crewed missions for NASA since 2020, redesigned its spacecraft's batteries at one point, he said.
"Of course, they have the luxury of having a lot of battery expertise at Tesla(TSLA.O)," Stich said, referring to the electric carmaker Musk leads.
Boeing in a statement said on Wednesday it has had no issues with Starliner's batteries during tests.
"Boeing has conducted more than a dozen Starliner battery thermal runaway tests, stressing the battery cells beyond their intended limit. No issue has surfaced," the company said.
Stich acknowledged there had been "a little disagreement" during the meetings over how a potential failure of one of the battery's cells could spread to other cells. He said there have been no test failures, but added sometimes a cell got "a little out of balance" during past tests.
Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit.
Reuters
Washington,
Mar 28, 2023
The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft. (Photo: Nasa)
In Short
The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft. (Photo: Nasa)
In Short
Boeing is weighing battery redesigns and a plan to add shielding
Boeing has had no issues with Starliner's batteries during tests
Nasa has overseen Starliner's development under a $4.5 billion contract
By Reuters: Boeing's first mission carrying astronauts to space aboard its Starliner capsule has been delayed until at least the summer, a NASA official said on Thursday, as people familiar with the matter said last-minute tests and technical debates nixed a plan for an April launch.
Previously planned for late April, the Starliner mission is now slated to launch after a private astronaut mission scheduled for May "as teams assess readiness and complete verification work" for the spacecraft, NASA's space operations chief Kathy Lueders said on Twitter. She did not provide further details about reasons for the delay.
Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit. It represents the spacecraft's final testflight before joining rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule as the second NASA-approved ride to orbit.
Also Read | Leaky Russian Soyuz spacecraft to return home empty today
Steve Stich, head of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in an interview with Reuters before the delay was announced that the certification process for the spacecraft had taken "a little longer than we expected" and was "a whole lotta work."
A successful 10-day test mission with Starliner docked to the space station, an orbital research lab some 250 miles high in Earth's orbit, would mark a crucial milestone. Boeing has struggled to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX in the nascent market for private astronaut flights.
Finding a new launch date after April is complicated by heavy traffic at the space station over the next few months and a tight schedule for Starliner's launch provider, the Boeing-Lockheed (LMT.N) joint venture United Launch Alliance, Boeing and NASA officials have said.
The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft.
Boeing software engineers are running tests with Starliner's manual flight system used as a backup in case the spacecraft's automated flight software fails, Stich said.
A Boeing spokesman said the focus for that testing is for "added redundancy in cases of emergency."
Deliberations about mission-critical lithium ion batteries and the low chance they overheat while the spacecraft is docked to the station also took more time than expected, Stich said.
In a recent pre-flight technical meeting with Boeing and NASA officials, the space station's chief safety officer and representatives from NASA's astronaut office disagreed with Boeing's plans to proceed with the mission citing concerns over the batteries, according to a person who attended the meetings.
But those NASA officials eventually agreed with Boeing and others at the federal space agency that the chances of a battery mishap that would endanger the crew were low, said the person who requested anonymity to discuss preflight deliberations.
Boeing also is weighing battery redesigns and a plan to add shielding in case one overheats, Stich said. SpaceX, which has already flown seven crewed missions for NASA since 2020, redesigned its spacecraft's batteries at one point, he said.
"Of course, they have the luxury of having a lot of battery expertise at Tesla(TSLA.O)," Stich said, referring to the electric carmaker Musk leads.
Boeing in a statement said on Wednesday it has had no issues with Starliner's batteries during tests.
"Boeing has conducted more than a dozen Starliner battery thermal runaway tests, stressing the battery cells beyond their intended limit. No issue has surfaced," the company said.
Stich acknowledged there had been "a little disagreement" during the meetings over how a potential failure of one of the battery's cells could spread to other cells. He said there have been no test failures, but added sometimes a cell got "a little out of balance" during past tests.
Boeing plans to redesign a system that separates Starliner's main crew module from its service module. (Photo: Nasa)
The Starliner battery concerns and expected upgrades, which had not been previously reported, would add to a growing to-do list of tests and redesigns Boeing has faced before it embarks on the long-awaited operational phase of its NASA contract: six astronaut missions over the next few years.
NASA has overseen Starliner's development under a $4.5 billion contract awarded in 2014. Some 80 software failures cut short an initial, uncrewed Starliner test flight in 2019. The capsule made a successful repeat of that mission in 2022.
Boeing also plans to redesign a system that separates Starliner's main crew module from its service module, a trunk section containing thrusters that is ditched before the spacecraft returns to Earth, Stich said.
Federal procurement data shows NASA has agreed to pay Boeing at least $24.8 million for the upgrade of that system.
Boeing last year also opted to redesign valves on Starliner's propulsion system to prevent them from sticking shut prior to launch, which caused a lengthy delay in 2021.
NASA and Boeing's aim to have the valves redesigned for future missions initiated a dispute with Boeing's propulsion system supplier. Aerojet Rocketdyne(AJRD.N) blamed Boeing for the problems,refusing to pay for the redesign, Reuters reported last year.
Boeing has now cut Aerojet from the redesign process and is working directly with Aerojet's valve supplier, New Jersey-based company Marotta, said a person involved in the process who asked not to be identified.
Aerojet and Marotta declined to comment. Boeing said "we are working with Marotta on a valve redesign."
NASA has overseen Starliner's development under a $4.5 billion contract awarded in 2014. Some 80 software failures cut short an initial, uncrewed Starliner test flight in 2019. The capsule made a successful repeat of that mission in 2022.
Boeing also plans to redesign a system that separates Starliner's main crew module from its service module, a trunk section containing thrusters that is ditched before the spacecraft returns to Earth, Stich said.
Federal procurement data shows NASA has agreed to pay Boeing at least $24.8 million for the upgrade of that system.
Boeing last year also opted to redesign valves on Starliner's propulsion system to prevent them from sticking shut prior to launch, which caused a lengthy delay in 2021.
NASA and Boeing's aim to have the valves redesigned for future missions initiated a dispute with Boeing's propulsion system supplier. Aerojet Rocketdyne(AJRD.N) blamed Boeing for the problems,refusing to pay for the redesign, Reuters reported last year.
Boeing has now cut Aerojet from the redesign process and is working directly with Aerojet's valve supplier, New Jersey-based company Marotta, said a person involved in the process who asked not to be identified.
Aerojet and Marotta declined to comment. Boeing said "we are working with Marotta on a valve redesign."
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