Boeing problems...

[Brainonska511]

Can't rely on Boeing to get going anymore it seems..

Could 2 NASA astronauts be stuck at the space station until next year? A decision is imminent

NASA is on the verge of deciding how and when to bring two astronauts back from the International Space Station, after running into trouble with their new Boeing capsule.

apnews.com

Even before Wilmore and Williams blasted off June 5, their capsule sprang a leak in propulsion-related plumbing. Boeing and NASA judged the small helium leak to be stable and isolated, and proceeded with the test flight. But as Starliner approached the space station the next day, four more leaks erupted. Five thrusters also failed.

I mean, isn't that part of the reason they had this shakedown certification flight - make sure everything is in working order? Seems that since issues have cropped up, NASA and Boeing are taking the conservative approach: examining the issues while they still have access to the docked vehicle, and putting the safety of the crew first. I think there are enough incidents in NASA's history to justify taking a safety-first approach instead of ignoring the engineering unknowns.

And despite the problems, I think having a second, capable crewable vehicle (once its certified) to take people into space is a good thing. Having something to counterbalance Musk and SpaceX should be a good thing.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Could it be that by the time Boeing figures it out they will only have to haul to skeletons back to earth....

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Could it be that by the time Boeing figures it out they will only have to haul to skeletons back to earth....

Naw, the corpses would dessicate long before bacteria broke down the soft mass.

 

[iRONic]

TF?! Corpses?! Skeletons?!

*taps his meter*

They aren't in danger at the moment. They're not gonna die! If anything, they will come back next year with the crew from SpaceCadetX.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

TF?! Corpses?! Skeletons?!

*taps his meter*

They aren't in danger at the moment. They're not gonna die! If anything, they will come back next year with the crew from SpaceCadetX.

It was sarcasm from me at least hell red bull could probably engineer them an orbital drop suit at this point.

 

[evident]

How much food and supplies do these astronauts have?

 

[iRONic]

I'll bet you there's a search engine out there that might know that answer…

 

[Paratus]

How much food and supplies do these astronauts have?

NG21 just docked to the ISS with more supplies.

We fly multiple supply ships to the ISS every year. We maintain several months of supplies (O2, water, food, consumables, etc). So an extra couple of crew months isn’t too big of an impact.

 

[evident]

Too lazy to Google

 

[Zorba]

NG21 just docked to the ISS with more supplies.

We fly multiple supply ships to the ISS every year. We maintain several months of supplies (O2, water, food, consumables, etc). So an extra couple of crew months isn’t too big of an impact.

I would think the bigger issue is the effect on the crew, thinking there be gone for a couple weeks and now stuck for 6 months.

 

[Paratus]

I would think the bigger issue is the effect on the crew, thinking there be gone for a couple weeks and now stuck for 6 months.

While I’m not privy to any of the private conferences they may have had (nor would I share if I was) but Suni and Butch are professionals and they knew this was a risk when they launched.

 

[Zorba]

While I’m not privy to any of the private conferences they may have had (nor would I share if I was) but Suni and Butch are professionals and they knew this was a risk when they launched.

I'm a professional too, but wouldn't like it if my business trip got extended from 2 weeks to 30 weeks. Even if it was somewhere cool. I was running in an antigravity treadmill yesterday and thinking about how they are going to have to be hitting the fake gravity treadmill a lot more than planned.

 

[Indus]

@Muse I think this thread needs to be retitled to..

Boeing's problems are.. well increasing!

 

[Zorba]

@Muse I think this thread needs to be retitled to..

Boeing's problems are.. well increasing!

Don't worry, it's all going to be solved by the new "engineer" CEO that had 4 years of engineering experience in the early 80s.

I was hoping they'd somehow get Ms. Shotwell.

 

[Paratus]

I'm a professional too, but wouldn't like it if my business trip got extended from 2 weeks to 30 weeks. Even if it was somewhere cool. I was running in an antigravity treadmill yesterday and thinking about how they are going to have to be hitting the fake gravity treadmill a lot more than planned.

Right but as the crew for a test flight they knew ISS as a safe haven was always part of the contingency planning.

So while they may not be happy about it, it wasn’t a surprise. Then again they may be happy. Most astronauts like to fly.

Suni probably won’t mind the workouts. She ran the Boston Marathon from the ISS treadmill awhile back.

NASA Astronaut Completes Boston Marathon in Space

After more than four hours of running in place, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams completed the Boston Marathon while orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

www.space.com

 

[Zorba]

Right but as the crew for a test flight they knew ISS as a safe haven was always part of the contingency planning.

So while they may not be happy about it, it wasn’t a surprise. Then again they may be happy. Most astronauts like to fly.

Suni probably won’t mind the workouts. She ran the Boston Marathon from the ISS treadmill awhile back.

NASA Astronaut Completes Boston Marathon in Space

After more than four hours of running in place, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams completed the Boston Marathon while orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

www.space.com

Did she really run 26.2 miles or 26.2 km? I know NASA has a hard time with conversions

 

[Paratus]

Did she really run 26.2 miles or 26.2 km? I know NASA has a hard time with this conversions

You have no idea.

 

[Muse]

You have no idea.

Saw a video clip this week on CBS national TV news of I think congressional hearing and Boeing executives were asked if they could guarantee a door panel wouldn't blow off one of their passenger jets going forward. The answer was no, they can't, but they are addressing the issues involved.

 

[hal2kilo]

When is the winning going to end. Fire all upper management.

 

[Indus]

When is the winning going to end. Fire all upper management.

Spin off McDonnel Douglas and all the Chicago bigwigs.. go back to Seattle Engineering.

 

[Brovane]

Looks like things are not looking good for Boeing.

Cards on the table: Are Butch and Suni coming home on Starliner or Crew Dragon?

 

[Paratus]

Press conference in an hour with a decision

 

[hal2kilo]

How much food and supplies do these astronauts have?

More than the toad, I mean Bill Shatner knows. He was on Fox musing about them running out of food. So has been.

 

[sdifox]

More than the toad, I mean Bill Shatner knows. He was on Fox musing about them running out of food. So has been.

They get regular resupply. So no biggie.

 

[igor_kavinski]

https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/spacex-return-boeings-starliner-astronauts-space-next-year-nasa-says-2024-08-24/

Made the right decision.