The CEO is a Chinese billionaire...WTF? I use it.. I thought it was Norway based and I have used it everyday for a decade.
The CEO is a Chinese billionaire...
According to the pdf above, it was supposed to has autonomous flight capabilities.
I like Brave.Suggestions? Dolphin/ Safari?? Something with dials.
Yeah, I get that. But that means NASA effectively paid to develop two different solutions to the same problem. Seems like it would've been better to spec one suit that they had to design around.Ascent/Entry suits are part of their host vehicles life support systems. While the commercial crew program provided high level requirements to both SpaceX and Boeing none of those requirements would have been specific enough to drive their suits to be effectively the same.
Nor would there have been money provided to certify their suits on the other provider’s spacecraft. So it was never going to be plug and play.
Seems to me that there should always be a standby vehicle for getting astronauts back if something goes awry.
Yeah, I get that. But that means NASA effectively paid to develop two different solutions to the same problem. Seems like it would've been better to spec one suit that they had to design around.
Yes, I understand that. Airlines buy COTS aircraft, but still want them to work with standard equipment and cargo pallets/containers. In the grand scheme of things it isn't a big deal, it has just always seemed odd to me that the pressure suit depends on the vehicle.COTS program both Cargo and Commercial Crew has been a great return on investment for NASA and the US taxpayers. Part of that concept is NASA only spec's high level requirements and letting industry design the solution.
This is the very first time that the US has actually had more than one crew vehicle that this would actually be a potential concern. I expect as spaceflight becomes more routine and you have start having multiple different types of crew vehicles there will be a push for standardization or at a minimum everyone uses a similar umbilical. So even if you have a different suit it can fly on multiple crew vehicles.Yes, I understand that. Airlines buy COTS aircraft, but still want them to work with standard equipment and cargo pallets/containers. In the grand scheme of things it isn't a big deal, it has just always seemed odd to me that the pressure suit depends on the vehicle.
Ha! Ascent and/or Entry suits in use or on the horizon: Soyuz, Dragon, Starliner, Orion, HLS SpaceX and HLS Blue Origin.Yeah, I get that. But that means NASA effectively paid to develop two different solutions to the same problem. Seems like it would've been better to spec one suit that they had to design around.
I’m unaware of a suit debacle. Maybe if/when we have multiple US providers going to the ISS somebody might throw some money at it. Of course the ISS may only have 6 years left.I'm hopeful the suit debacle will lead to some long term changes.
I'm hopeful the suit debacle will lead to some long term changes.
Does not having a standard for suit connections make sense in the long run for the space industry?If somehow by engineering magic SpaceX had a adapter that allowed the Boeing IVA suits to be used with Crew Dragon and it was onboard crew-8 Dragon (Endeavour) right now at the ISS, does this change anything for getting Butch and Sunni home?
Is your environmental system set up for open loop or closed loop suits?Does not having a standard for suit connections make sense in the long run for the space industry?
Better question: why is there not an 'emergency mode' where a suit isn't required?Does not having a standard for suit connections make sense in the long run for the space industry?
The emergency mode requires the suit. The nominal one doesn’t.Better question: why is there not an 'emergency mode' where a suit isn't required?
Then is all the hubub about that specific circumstance? Why are those astronauts stuck up there for almost a year at this point?The emergency mode requires the suit. The nominal one doesn’t.
Let me clear up what has to happen for the suit to become an issue.
We’ve been holding that Starliner is still their emergency escape vehicle so until it leaves NET 9/6 their suits will be fine.
After Starliner leaves but before SpaceX Crew-9 arrives 2-3 weeks later with new suits and two empty seats their emergency escape vehicle will be the Crew-8 Dragon without suits.
An emergency (fire, rapid depress, or toxic atmosphere), would have to happen aboard the ISS during those 2-3 weeks. It would take at least 2-3 failures or an MMOD strike to cause an emergency.
Butch and Suni would have to board Crew-8 without suits. If there are no other problems they are perfectly fine all the way home.
For there to be a problem the Crew-8 Dragon would then have to have 2-3 failures that caused a loss of pressure or toxic atmosphere on board during the descent.
So long story short 4-6 specific failures at two very specific times are required to cause a potential loss of life without the suits.
That’s a very low likelihood in safety space.
The suit is just a sideshow. The real problem is they can’t trust the maneuvering thrusters on the Boeing ship which is a risk to the safety of the crew.Then is all the hubub about that specific circumstance? Why are those astronauts stuck up there for almost a year at this point?
Are they the first to come home on a different vehicle type than they went up on? I assume probably not, and this happened before when both the Shuttle and Soyuz were going to ISS at the same time.A fun fact. Assuming Butch and Suni do come back on crew Dragon they will have flown in five different space vehicles
- Space Shuttle
- ISS
- Soyuz
- Starliner
- Dragon