NASA astronauts stuck in space after gas leak discovered on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft

[Rogue Trader]

Astronauts stranded due to stricken Boeing Starliner spacecraft​

Launch to ISS was Boeing’s first to compete with SpaceX​

Josh Marcus
San Francisco
23 hours ago

Two astronauts who piloted Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station earlier this month remain aboard the floating research hub with no firm return date to Earth, as NASA and Boeing seek to analyze mechanical issues and clear a schedule for the craft’s return voyage.

“We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. “We are letting the data drive our decision-making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking.”

The Starliner arrived at the ISS on June 6, and the two crew members, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were originally scheduled to remain at the space station for a week.

The astronauts won’t return at least through July 2, after a planned ISS spacewalk.

It’s a considerable adjustment from the original Starliner mission plan, which was intended as a showcase launch as Boeing seeks to compete with SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which has been NASA’s only vehicle ferrying astronauts to the ISS since 2020.

As the Starliner neared the ISS, however, mechanical problems including four helium leaks and five malfunctioning thrusters were discovered.

Mission managers knew the ship had a helium leak prior to the launch, but assumed it was unlikely to affect the mission, according to NBC News. Four more helium leaks were discovered once the Starliner was in space.

Boeing has billed the Starliner as its “21st Century Space Capsule,” designed to be reusable up to 10 times.

The issues with the Starliner are just the latest in a season of turbulence for the aerospace giant.

The FAA has grounded all 171 of its MAX 9 jets and instigated an investigation after a door plug blew off in mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight.

At the same time, the company has faced a string of whistleblower allegations it ignored quality issues, and multiple internal critics of the company have died after raising concerns.

 

[Truthspeak]

Globetards will always post news of pseudoscience that they cannot verify that is science. Outer space is a fantasy for them

 

[Rogue Trader]

 

[A Singaporean]

Calling all ACS to come and defend Angmorika. OK to put blame on Cina. LOL.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Elon Musk to the rescue?​

How SpaceX could end up rescuing stranded astronauts if Boeing’s Starliner can’t be fixed​

By
Social Links forRonny Reyes
Published June 25, 2024, 5:16 p.m. ET


SpaceX may be forced to come to the rescue of two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station after their Boeing Starliner suffered troubling helium leaks.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams soared into space on the Starliner on June 5 and were only supposed to remain at the ISS for nine days — but issues with their ship have left their return date still up in the air, and NASA is now furiously trying to help solve the problem.

Boeing-rival SpaceX could potentially end up being tapped to ultimately bring them home aboard its Crew Dragon spaceship.

The outcome would serve as a severe blow to troubled aerospace giant Boeing, which has spent about $1.5 billion in cost overruns — beyond its initial $4.5 billion contract with NASA — in hopes of making Starliner a second option to reach the ISS.

While NASA and Boeing officials have reiterated that the current problems aboard the Starliner don’t indicate the need for SpaceX to lend a hand, the Crew Dragon is up to the task.

The SpaceX ship, which recently ferried four astronauts to the ISS in March, is capable of carrying two to four passengers at a time, but it can fit additional occupants in an emergency.

SpaceX had served as the sole commercial company approved to transport astronauts and cargo to the space station since 2020.

Michael Lembeck, an aerospace engineering associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who served as a consultant for Boeing’s spaceflight division from 2009 to 2014, told The Post that the Starliner is still likely to be Wilmore and Williams’ ride back to Earth.

“Right now, I’d say the need for SpaceX to step up is very low,” Lembeck said. “We would have to see a big problem come up in the next couple of days to warrant that reaction.”

Lembeck and Katsuo Kurabayashi, a professor of aerospace engineering at New York University, told The Post that NASA most likely delayed the return trip home so that they could spend more time studying the craft while it’s still attached to the ISS to learn more about what went wrong and how to avoid it for its next mission.

While the capsule carrying the astronauts will make it back to Earth, the service module — which stores the engines, fuel and the helium tanks — will not, Lembeck explained.

“With ample helium gas remaining, it’s prudent for the teams to take sufficient time to ensure that Starliner is fully prepared and certified for the return journey,” Kurabayashi added.

The NYU prof noted that the situation remains fluid and that the next updates that come from NASA will be an indicator on how the issue has developed.

“If they start talking about a rescue mission by chance, it would indicate that there are some serious, potentially life-threatening hardware defects found with Sarliner,” Kurabayashi said.

The last time a NASA astronaut needed help returning to Earth was in 2022, when Russia’s Soyuz capsule sprang a leak with American Frank Rubio on board.

While NASA had considered tapping SpaceX for help, Rubio eventually returned aboard an empty Soyuz capsule that Russia launched.

The incident extended Rubio’s six-month mission to one that lasted more than a year, or 371 days, a recording-breaking length for an American in space.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Stranded in space until 2025

Boeing’s Starliner astronauts may be in space another 6 months. Here’s what they’ll do​

By Jackie Wattles, CNN
6 minute read
Published 6:36 AM EDT, Fri August 9, 2024

In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024.
NASA/AP


CNN —
When astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore left Earth for International Space Station two months ago, they ditched their bags for a key piece of equipment. Helming the inaugural crewed flight test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, they departed without their own toiletries and other personal comforts — expecting to return to Earth within a week or so.

They’ve now been on the space station more than 60 days, however, and NASA raised the possibility this week that they may remain there through early 2025 because of ongoing issues with their Starliner capsule.

Such an extension is not certain, with NASA officials hoping to resolve some disagreements within the space agency about Starliner’s safety. A decision, according to NASA, must be made by the middle of August.

But NASA indicated a monthslong continuation may be necessary if Starliner is deemed unsafe and they need to fall back on Plan B, with the astronauts coming home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule instead.

So what exactly would Williams and Wilmore do for another six months in space?

Currently the two are guests. They’re not part of Expedition 71, the international crew of seven astronauts serving as the space station’s official staff. Nevertheless, NASA has said they’ve seamlessly integrated with the group, picking up everyday tasks aboard the orbiting laboratory.

But if their stay is extended through February, as NASA said may happen if Starliner can’t bring them home, Williams and Wilmore would transition to be full-time expedition crew members.

They would take up typical crew tasks, such as conducting spacewalks outside the space station, maintaining the orbiting laboratory and carrying out a tight schedule of science experiments.

And NASA confirmed the Starliner astronauts are prepared to make such a shift.

“A couple years ago, we made the decision — knowing that this was a test flight — to make sure that we had the right resources, supplies and training for the crew, just in case they needed to be on ISS, for whatever reason, for a longer period of time,” Dana Weigel, NASA’s manager of the International Space Station Program, said during a Wednesday briefing.

“Butch and Suni are fully trained,” Weigel added. “They’re capable and current with EVA (spacewalks), with robotics, with all the things we need them to do.”

(Continues)

 

[Truthspeak]

Globetards are the most stupidest group of people in this world believing in the pseudoscience aka tricks and deceptions invented by the Jews.

They will keep believing from 1950s to an indefinite timeline dreaming that they could ever leave the space.

Unfortunately, this will never happen and can never happen because it is all lies meant to deceive the sheeple.

As usual. Only sheeple always fall for the hoax while the minority don’t

 

[myfoot123]

Time for America to beg Russia for help.