NASA weighs Boeing vs. SpaceX choice in bringing back Starliner astronauts

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News/CNBC

Aug. 2, 2024, 12:13 PM EDT


NASA management has been in deep discussion this week about whether to return the agency’s astronauts on board Boeing’s misfiring Starliner capsule or to go with the alternative of using a SpaceX craft to rescue the crew.

The agency’s concern with Starliner — which flew NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station in early June — comes from not having identified a root cause for why some of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed during docking, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC.

NASA this week has been discussing the possibility of returning Starliner empty and instead using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to return its astronauts. There is no consensus among those responsible for making the decision, that person said, calling the outcome of NASA’s ongoing discussions unpredictable given the variety of factors involved.

The Starliner capsule “Calypso” has now been in space 59 days and counting. The mission is intended to serve as the final step toward proving Boeing’s long-delayed spacecraft is safe to fly lengthy crew missions to-and-from the ISS.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-weighs-boeing-vs-spacex-choice-bringing-back-starliner-astronauts-rcna164890

[cstanleytech]

1. This proves that the worst idea was ever to go private with space exploration at this point.

Our government made a huge mistake by not just designing and building it's own spacecraft.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "Our government made a huge mistake by not just designing and building it's own spacecraft"

The government never "designed and built their own". It was always done through FTEs working with contractors (some of the same ones that we see "going private" now), except that on the contract paperwork, the result would be "owned by" the federal government (vs that contractor).

[cstanleytech]

6. Point is relying on the private sector was a mistake as we're seeing.

[SpankMe]

2. Take the Starliner blueprints and facilities away from Boeing and give them to another contractor

Boeing should be kicked off of Starliner. See this article from Ars Technica:

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/05/the-surprise-is-not-that-boeing-lost-commercial-crew-but-that-it-finished-at-all/

From the article:

There was no single flight software team at Boeing. The responsibilities were spread out. A team at Kennedy Space Center in Florida handled the ground systems software... Separately, a team at Boeing's facilities in Houston near Johnson Space Center managed the flight software...

Neither team trusted one another, however. When the ground software team would visit their colleagues in Texas, and vice versa, the interactions were limited. The two teams ended up operating mostly in silos, not really sharing their work with one another. The Florida software team came to believe that the Texas team working on flight software had fallen behind but didn't want to acknowledge it. (A Boeing spokesperson denied there was any such friction.)

I work in this industry and have no doubt this is true. Boeing (and most old-school aerospace companies) operate in this manner where they split up tasks to different groups, and then each group thinks their shit doesn't stink and won't cooperate with the others. And the management team above them doesn't have the competence, courage, knowledge or gumption to force them all to get back on the same page and start cooperating. The fact that these disparate groups refuse to work as a team is infuriating and should be penalized. If I was in charge of NASA, I'd be making career-ending decisions for Boeing over this.

Also, I know a thing or two about hypergolic reaction and control thrusters in general. These aren't new technology. These should have been a slam dunk to manufacture, and they should be rock-sild reliable. I don't know if the issue is workmanship, design or lack of compatibility at at interface with an adjacent system that feeds the MR-104J's, but this smells like a lack of due diligence in some aspect of producing or installing these things.

It's like the failing compressors on LG refrigerators that we've been hearing about. In terms of design and production, these things should be bulletproof by now. They've manufacture jillions of them over the last few decades, and the design concept is known and simple. There's no reason these should be failing.

[IzzaNuDay]

9. I am hoping for an investigation on this.

we aren’t learning the entire story.

In the meantime, Boeing should send Starliner home to Earth unoccupied.

[IronLionZion]

3. Ugh, Boeing again

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

5. I don't trust them anymore

Used to sing praises about Bill Boeing's little company, but after two dead whistleblowers...not gonna.

https://slate.com/technology/2024/05/boeing-deaths-whistleblowers-suicide-rumors-foul-play.html

[myohmy2]

7. at least...

...the door didn't blow off...

...poor Boeing, they need some love...

[3Hotdogs]

8. What?

Nobody never heard'a Uber?