Thursday, August 08, 2024

SPACE


Boeing Starliner astronauts might not return to Earth until next year, NASA says

JUST ANOTHER BOEING FUCK UP


Boeing Starliner astronauts Suni Williams (L) and Butch Wilmore (R), who have spent 63 days at the International Space Station on what had been scheduled to be weeklong test flight, may return to Earth on SpaceX in 2025, according to NASA. 
File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | 

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Boeing Starliner astronauts, stranded at the International Space Station after a weeklong test flight turned into a two-month stay due to thruster problems, may be forced to fly home on SpaceX in 2025, NASA has admitted.

NASA updated reporters Wednesday at a news conference, which Boeing did not attend, on the timeline for crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The astronauts have been in space for 63 days with no return date in sight.

Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS on June 6 on what was the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule. The mission was supposed to be the final step before NASA certified Boeing to fly crews to and from the space station, before faulty thrusters stranded the pair in June.

"We're in kind of a new situation here, in that we've got multiple options," Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA's space operations mission directorate and a former agency astronaut, told reporters Wednesday.

"I would say that our chances of an uncrewed Starliner return have increased a little bit on where things have gone over the last week or two," Bowersox said. "But again, new data coming in, new analysis, different discussion -- we could find ourselves shift in another way."

"We don't just have to bring a crew back on Starliner, for example. We could bring them back on another vehicle," Bowersox added. The space agency is expected to make a final decision as early as next week.

"Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program said. "However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open, and so we have been working with SpaceX to ensure that they're ready to respond."

NASA said it is now considering sending only two astronauts, instead of four, on September's SpaceX Crew-9 mission to leave space for Wilmore and Williams to return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon in February 2025. SpaceX has been transporting astronauts to and from the ISS since 2020.

"We're not ready to share specific crew names for the contingency plan," ISS program manager Dana Weigel told Space.com. "We'll go look at future manifests and just see what makes sense for the overall crew compliments going forward."

On Tuesday, NASA announced SpaceX would delay the Aug. 18 launch of its Crew-9 mission, more than a month, to Sept. 24. The delay will give NASA and Boeing more time to repair Starliner's five of 28 reaction control thrusters which misfired during docking at ISS on June 6.

While NASA said Starliner can safely undock from ISS, there is still uncertainty over how its thrusters would operate during the ride back to Earth.

"Starliner ground teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft's integrated propulsion system and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner's return to Earth," NASA said in a statement Tuesday.

Stich told reporters Wednesday that tests on the ground revealed that a small Teflon seal swells under high temperatures, which could be to blame for Starliner's thruster problems.

"That gives us a lot of confidence in the thrusters, but we can't totally prove with certainty what we're seeing on orbit is exactly what's been replicated on the ground," Stich added.

Despite not attending Wednesday's briefing, Boeing has maintained its confidence "in Starliner's return with crew."

"We still believe in Starliner's capability and its flight rationale," the company said in a statement Wednesday, as it also admitted the possibility that a different vehicle could bring the astronauts home.

"If NASA decides to change the mission, we will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return."

SpaceX delays Crew-9 astronaut launch amid uncertainty over Boeing Starliner


The Crew Dragon spacecraft sits on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as it is prepared to launch NASA's Crew 8 to the International Space Station on March 2. On Tuesday, NASA announced the SpaceX launch of this month's Crew-9 mission has been pushed back to Sept. 24, to accommodate Boeing's Starliner which is currently stranded, along with two U.S. astronauts, at ISS. 
File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- SpaceX has delayed this month's Crew-9 astronaut launch to Sept. 24, to accommodate a traffic jam at the International Space Station as Boeing's Starliner remains stalled at the orbiting laboratory.

SpaceX was scheduled to launch its ninth operational flight for NASA with four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, before the space agency announced the delay Monday.

"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.

Boeing's new Starliner capsule launched June 5, with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS. Despite plans to return Starliner and its crew to Earth a week later, NASA has repeatedly delayed the mission for two months so Crew Flight Test members can study Starliner's issues that include five failed reaction control system thrusters.

As SpaceX delays this month's launch, NASA will use the time to determine the flightworthiness of Starliner and whether it is safe to bring Williams and Wilmore home.

"Starliner ground teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft's integrated propulsion system and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner's return to Earth," NASA said in a statement Tuesday. "NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft's readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner's return."

NASA could ultimately decide to tap SpaceX to bring Williams and Wilmore back to Earth, if the space agency determines that would be the safer route.

"There are a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said last month.

"Of course, I'm very confident we have a good vehicle to bring the crew back with," Mark Nappi, Boeing's commercial crew program manager, added as the company weighed in with an update.

"Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew. We continue to support NASA's requests for additional testing, data, analysis and reviews to affirm the spacecraft's safe undocking and landing capabilities," the company wrote.

"Our confidence is based on this abundance of valuable testing from Boeing and NASA. The testing has confirmed 27 of 28 thrusters are healthy and back to full operational capability," Boeing added.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Tuesday he too is confident that NASA will make the right call, adding "I especially have confidence since I have the final decision."

As the Crew-9 mission waits another month to launch, liftoff will now take place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to "deconflict with pad preparations for NASA's Europa Clipper mission beginning this September."

The Crew-9 mission will mark the first-ever crewed launch from SLC-40.

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