Boeing Starliner
Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2024 1:57 pm
You might know that about a decade ago, NASA unveiled the "Commercial Crew Service" concept for flying Astronauts to the ISS.
Boeing, and the then upstart SpaceX won the contracts.
SpaceX went with the partly-resuable Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon system, and has put Astronauts into low earth orbit 13 times now - 9 for NASA, and another 4 for private space missions. The first stage returns to the ground under powered flight and is re-used. 2nd stage burns up in the atmosphere. The capsule splashes down at sea and is re-used.
Well, after years of delays, two weeks ago, Boeing finally launched Starliner with 2 Astronauts aboard on a mission to dock with the ISS. It was successful, but during the climb uphill, concerns were raised about helium leaks.
Now, 2 weeks later, those leaks are considered serious enough that NASA has just postponed indefinitely the scheduled return back to earth of the Starliner with Astronauts on board.
There is a very real chance that they'll jettison the ship, and those 2 Astronauts will have to be taken back to earth in the Space X vehicle (one is currently docked to the ISS).
With Boeing's other issues around the 737 Max still going on, makes you wonder if this isn't a "final straw" event for the reputation of the company?
Main thing, let's hope those Astronauts can get home safely.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/n ... sion-data/
Boeing, and the then upstart SpaceX won the contracts.
SpaceX went with the partly-resuable Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon system, and has put Astronauts into low earth orbit 13 times now - 9 for NASA, and another 4 for private space missions. The first stage returns to the ground under powered flight and is re-used. 2nd stage burns up in the atmosphere. The capsule splashes down at sea and is re-used.
Well, after years of delays, two weeks ago, Boeing finally launched Starliner with 2 Astronauts aboard on a mission to dock with the ISS. It was successful, but during the climb uphill, concerns were raised about helium leaks.
Now, 2 weeks later, those leaks are considered serious enough that NASA has just postponed indefinitely the scheduled return back to earth of the Starliner with Astronauts on board.
There is a very real chance that they'll jettison the ship, and those 2 Astronauts will have to be taken back to earth in the Space X vehicle (one is currently docked to the ISS).
With Boeing's other issues around the 737 Max still going on, makes you wonder if this isn't a "final straw" event for the reputation of the company?
Main thing, let's hope those Astronauts can get home safely.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/n ... sion-data/