Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) SpaceX and Boeing Developments

[adiggs]

Sure sounds like an argument in favor of using the new boosters on a Starlink launch, and using flight-proven hardware for customer launches, eh? Then it'd be Starlink launches being delayed while the bugs are being figured out and fixed while the other stuff gets their launch dates on schedule.

Flight proven hardware - it's gonna be the new thing in transport to orbit any year now!

 

[Cosmacelf]

Sure sounds like an argument in favor of using the new boosters on a Starlink launch, and using flight-proven hardware for customer launches, eh? Then it'd be Starlink launches being delayed while the bugs are being figured out and fixed while the other stuff gets their launch dates on schedule.

Flight proven hardware - it's gonna be the new thing in transport to orbit any year now!

Lord knows I’d rather fly on a flight proven 737 Max...

 

[adiggs]

Lord knows I’d rather fly on a flight proven 737 Max...

Granted! . It's a real shame that Boeing has made itself the butt of jokes like these. I've never worked there or been an investor, but from what I've read, it was a seriously good engineering company. -was-

That being said a flight unproven 737 Max sounds even worse to me.

 

[Grendal]

Kathy Lueders comments on what is happening with the Mertlin engine anomalies which is forcing delays of Crew 1 and GPS III:

 

[Grendal]

Crew 1 update:

Managers of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 28, to discuss the upcoming launch, including results from recent testing of the Falcon 9 Merlin engines following unexpected data SpaceX noted during a recent non-NASA launch.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...-crew-1-mission-update-target-new-launch-date

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

Next Starliner test flight scheduled for late March - SpaceNews

 

[Cosmacelf]

Next Starliner test flight scheduled for late March - SpaceNews

Wow. 15 months delay to fix software.

 

[Grendal]

Most of the astronauts for SpaceX Crew 3 mission has been announced.
NASA, ESA Choose Astronauts for SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to Space Station

 

[e-FTW]

Wow. 15 months delay to fix software.

And during that time, SpaceX will have reused a Crew Dragon and a Falcon 9 booster on crewed missions.
(And will have flown three such missions: DM-2, Crew-1 and Crew-2.)

 

[Grendal]

NASA assigns astronauts for third SpaceX commercial crew mission - SpaceNews

 

[Nikxice]

SpaceX's Crew-3 already preparing for the next mission. Can't help but wonder about the status of those Boeing Starliner crews. I don't believe individual astronauts have much control over commercial crew assignments. Chris Ferguson has already left Boeing. Stuck on a Boeing I suppose it's sadly possible to age out before flying. Sunita Williams comes to mind.

 

[e-FTW]

SpaceX's Crew-3 already preparing for the next mission. Can't help but wonder about the status of those Boeing Starliner crews. I don't believe individual astronauts have much control over commercial crew assignments. Chris Ferguson has already left Boeing. Stuck on a Boeing I suppose it's sadly possible to age out before flying. Sunita Williams comes to mind.

This reminds me of this now mind-bending picture:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/8kif3i/astronaut_sunita_williams_wearing_the_spacex_suit/

 

[Grendal]

Crew 4 details:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...ency-s-spacex-crew-4-mission-to-space-station

 

[Grendal]

And on the Boeing front:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...activities-for-boeing-s-orbital-flight-test-2

 

[Cosmacelf]

And on the Boeing front:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...activities-for-boeing-s-orbital-flight-test-2

NET March 25th. Without checking my notes, SpaceX will have launched probably six rockets by then.

 

[808?]

Starliner test flight slips to early April

Starliner test flight slips to early April - SpaceNews

 

[Cosmacelf]

Starliner test flight slips to early April

Starliner test flight slips to early April - SpaceNews

Ouch. Power surge due to miswired, or misused ground connects blew the avionics modules.

 

[MP3Mike]

Ouch. Power surge due to miswired, or misused ground connects blew the avionics modules.

That isn't how I read this:

The revised date comes after Boeing recently replaced avionics units on the vehicle that were damaged by a power surge that NASA said was caused by “a ground support equipment configuration issue during final checkouts” of the spacecraft.

That sounds more like the "ground support equipment", isn't that the equipment in the ground control station?, was configured wrong and sent commands that caused a power surge. So really a software problem? (or human data entry problem?)

 

[Cosmacelf]

That isn't how I read this:



That sounds more like the "ground support equipment", isn't that the equipment in the ground control station?, was configured wrong and sent commands that caused a power surge. So really a software problem? (or human data entry problem?)

I have no idea whose interpretation is correct. I guess either works. I just assumed the wrong kind of power was fed in via umbilical cords ("Wait was that dial to set to 200V DC or 50V???"). Or they could have done what I did during a recent power outage and connected a generator to an isolated breaker panel, but didn't connect the neutral line, meaning 240V appliances were fine, but 120V ones had rather interesting power surges resulting in blown capacitors on their control boards. Nah, they couldn't have been that dumb!