Thursday, July 25, 2024

Boeing Astronauts Remain Stuck on International Space Station

After nearly two months of postponement, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still on board the ISS. But NASA and Boeing say they still plan to return the two aboard Starliner.

Posted by lamplighter at 07:30 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink

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... There is still no return date for Boeing's stranded Starliner astronauts, who have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since June after their spacecraft developed multiple issues, NASA has announced.

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams rode to orbit in Boeing's spacecraft following years of delays, successfully blasting off on Starliner's inaugural crewed flight from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5. They were scheduled to stay a week in orbit.

But during the flight the spacecraft suffered a series of issues, including five helium leaks and five failures of its reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, forcing engineers to troubleshoot issues on the ground. This extended the two astronauts' stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to the current 50 days.

Yet NASA and Boeing say that even though ground tests have been completed, there is still no clear date for a flight home. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 03:52 PM

When I heard they were launching anyway with the known fuel leaks, I knew this would be the best case scenario.

#2 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-07-25 07:47 PM

@#2

Yeah.

Back when the launch was announced, I commented something about who would want to get on a Boeing space vehicle, given what I saw as an apparent "profit over quality" issue that Boeing seemed to have been going through.


Boeing CEO admits company has retaliated against whistleblowers during Senate hearing: I know it happens' (June 2024)
www.independent.co.uk

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 08:09 PM

I'm not sure I'd mind being "stuck" on the ISS for longer than planned. Better than being "stuck" in O'Hare.

#4 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-25 08:32 PM

I'd rather be stuck up there than being stuck up Trump's keister. That's for sure.

#5 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2024-07-25 08:37 PM

@#4,5

True, but if you are "stuck" somewhere, you hope is likely that you may eventually be "unstuck."

That's the problem here.

There does not yet seem to be a solution to "unstuck" these brave astronauts.

So they sit in space. Two months, and counting, after they should have been safely home.


#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 08:44 PM

There does not yet seem to be a solution to "unstuck" these brave astronauts.

Soyuz?

#7 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-25 08:53 PM

@#7 ... Soyuz? ...

Interesting.

Has the Capitalism goal of "profit uber alles" now wound up at the point that we need to rely upon technology that we have previously ridiculed?


#8 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 09:06 PM

Interesting.

Just saying. The rest of the ISS crew are not dependant on Starliner to get back down, so it's not like some kind of emergency.

#9 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-25 09:13 PM

@#9 ... so it's not like some kind of emergency ...

I agree.

But that's not the issue here.

Boeing's apparent "profit over safety" is the issue that concerns me.

As I have said in a prior comment...

I agree with Sen Hawley on this issue. Profits over safety...

You're the Problem': Hawley Bashes Boeing CEO for Prioritizing Profit over Safety, Transparency, and Quality
www.hawley.senate.gov

... Today in a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on Boeing's safety failures and his lack of accountability as CEO.

"I think the truth is Mr. Calhoun, you're not focused on safety, you're not focused on quality, you're not focused on transparency [ ... ] I think actually you're focused on what you were hired to do which is that you're cutting corners. You are eliminating safety procedures. You are sticking it to your employees. You are cutting back jobs because you're trying to squeeze every piece of profit you can out of this company," said Senator Hawley.

Senator Hawley pressed Mr. Calhoun on his salary of nearly $33 million while the company under his leadership has persistent quality and safety issues.

He continued, "For the American people, they're in danger. For your workers, they're in peril. For your whistleblowers, they literally fear for their lives, but you're getting compensated like never before."


#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 09:57 PM

Boeing's apparent "profit over safety" is the issue that concerns me.

I'm not so sure. This is "Defense Contractor" Boeing, not "Passenger Plane" Boeing. Much bigger/reliable contract money.

If they didn't care they could have rolled the dice and punted them back weeks ago.

#11 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-25 10:06 PM

@#11 ... This is "Defense Contractor" Boeing, not "Passenger Plane" Boeing. ...

Same CEO?

#12 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-25 10:26 PM

Ah, I remember watching, many years ago, as the decision to launch even though there was ice all over the launch vehicle, caused the deaths of American astronauts...so yeah, if it were me, I would be wondering if I could hitchhike on a Russian whatever.

#13 | Posted by Hughmass at 2024-07-26 07:18 AM

@#7 ... Soyuz? ...
Interesting.
Has the Capitalism goal of "profit uber alles" now wound up at the point that we need to rely upon technology that we have previously ridiculed?

#8 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2024-07-25 09:06 PM | REPLY

Who is "we"? NASA buys Soyuz flights, the most recent being a NASA astronaut flying to the ISS on one in March 2024.

#14 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-07-26 08:33 AM

We've been flying on Soyuz since 2011 when the Shuttle was retired. It's safer and cheaper.

#15 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-07-26 08:34 AM

now wound up at the point that we need to rely upon technology that we have previously ridiculed?

As far as I know, the Soyuz and Starliner aren't conceptually different. Both of which are similar technology used in the US space manned space program in the 60s.

It's not a technology thing, it's a rigor of construction and philosophy on how to approach it kind of thing.

Given Boeing's recent woes, you couldn't have paid me enough money to get on that thing.

#16 | Posted by jpw at 2024-07-26 09:15 AM

The capsule concept was never broken, didn't need a winged orbiter to begin with, it was political.

#17 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-07-26 10:11 AM

Maybe they were using CrowdStrike?

Too soon, Delta?

#18 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-07-26 03:30 PM

Sitz still thinks Fat Donnie Felon took a bullet to the ear.

Take a break, buddy. For your own sake.

#19 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-07-26 06:34 PM

You're a great example of why your alleged profession is getting replaced with LLMs.

#20 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-07-26 07:00 PM

"Marooned" is a 1969 film that predicted something like this. Released four months after the Apollo moon landing, the movie won an Oscar for visual effects. You may recognize some of the actors.

Free link:

www.youtube.com

#21 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2024-07-27 03:31 AM

No way I would be trusting my life to that thing up or especially now done.

#22 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-07-27 01:21 PM

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