Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) SpaceX and Boeing Developments

[Nikxice]

OFT-2 is delayed indefinitely. It's now back to the hangar to solve the mystery behind Starliner's propulsion system issue.

Launch of Boeing's Starliner capsule delayed indefinitely

 

[adiggs]

OFT-2 is delayed indefinitely. It's now back to the hangar to solve the mystery behind Starliner's propulsion system issue.

Launch of Boeing's Starliner capsule delayed indefinitely

Surprised? No.
Disappointed? Yes.

 

[HVM]

Next Boeing Starliner Launch Could be Weeks to Months Away

by Douglas MessierManaging Editor It could take between several weeks and two months for Boeing to work through the valve problems that resulted in the launch scrub of the Starliner spacecraft on Tuesday, a source tells Parabolic Arc. The vehicle will be launched from Florida on an uncrewed...

parabolicarc.com

"It could take between several weeks and two months for Boeing to work through the valve problems that resulted in the launch scrub of the Starliner spacecraft on Tuesday, a source tells Parabolic Arc. The vehicle will be launched from Florida on an uncrewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS)."

"The signals came from more than half of the 24 propulsion valves in Starliner’s service module, according to the source, who insisted upon anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to media."

 

[bxr140]

"The signals came from more than half of the 24 propulsion valves in Starliner’s service module, according to the source, who insisted upon anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to media."

That sounds more like upstream drive electronics than the valves themselves.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Next Boeing Starliner Launch Could be Weeks to Months Away

by Douglas MessierManaging Editor It could take between several weeks and two months for Boeing to work through the valve problems that resulted in the launch scrub of the Starliner spacecraft on Tuesday, a source tells Parabolic Arc. The vehicle will be launched from Florida on an uncrewed...

parabolicarc.com

"It could take between several weeks and two months for Boeing to work through the valve problems that resulted in the launch scrub of the Starliner spacecraft on Tuesday, a source tells Parabolic Arc. The vehicle will be launched from Florida on an uncrewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS)."

"The signals came from more than half of the 24 propulsion valves in Starliner’s service module, according to the source, who insisted upon anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to media."

Over/under on when astronauts start saying they want more testing? Didn't one already "retire"?

 

[Grendal]

 

[HVM]

Boeing to ground Starliner indefinitely until valve issue solved

"I know this is very, very hard on our NASA and Boeing teams."

arstechnica.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/13/boeing-destack-starliner-delay/

"Boeing’s Starliner to go back to factory for repairs, probably causing another major delay for troubled program"

 

[HVM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426233069372067850

 

[MP3Mike]

Problem possibly caused by high humidity?

Boeing Starliner Malfunction Potentially Caused by Florida's Humid Air, Investigators Say

The second uncrewed test of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner won’t happen for at least several months—if not longer.

gizmodo.com

 

[Grendal]

Still haven't got a handle on the issues...

Boeing still studying Starliner valve issues, with no launch date in sight

"The team's making great progress on further troubleshooting."

arstechnica.com

 

[Grendal]

Ouch. Good for SpaceX though.

NASA likely to move some astronauts off Starliner due to extended delays

Astronauts assigned to Boeing flights may end up on SpaceX's Crew-5 mission.

arstechnica.com

 

[adiggs]

Ouch. Good for SpaceX though.

NASA likely to move some astronauts off Starliner due to extended delays

Astronauts assigned to Boeing flights may end up on SpaceX's Crew-5 mission.

arstechnica.com

Ouch indeed. I like reprioritizing to get rookie astronauts into space earlier though, and letting the vets wait it out for another trip.

"Another" - that'd be an awfully fun word to add to a trip into space, eh?

 

[Nikxice]

Ouch. Good for SpaceX though.

NASA likely to move some astronauts off Starliner due to extended delays

Astronauts assigned to Boeing flights may end up on SpaceX's Crew-5 mission.

arstechnica.com

Great news for some frustrated NASA/Boeing astronauts! Hoping nobody gets pushed out further by astronaut Ballast Bill. The same exploitive guy who once said NASA shouldn't be run by politicians.

 

[Grendal]

Teslarati drives in a knife.

Report: SpaceX to launch at least five back-to-back Crew Dragon missions for NASA

Update: Wasting no time at all, NASA has confirmed the Ars Technica report one day later, announcing that rookie astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada have been reassigned from Boeing Starliner missions to SpaceX’s Crew-5 Crew Dragon launch – currently no earlier than August 2022. Ars...

www.teslarati.com

 

[Grendal]

And it's official:

NASA Announces Astronaut Changes for Upcoming Commercial Crew Missions - NASA

Editor’s note: This release was updated on Oct. 8 to provide additional clarity on Suni Williams, who assigned to the Starliner-1 mission, and updated numbers

www.nasa.gov

 

[Grendal]

SpaceX to nearly double fleet of reusable Dragon spacecraft by end of 2022

Comments from NASA and SpaceX officials during a briefing ahead of Crew Dragon’s third operational astronaut launch have offered a more detailed picture of the fleet of reusable Dragon spacecraft the company plans to build and cycle to support NASA missions. As part of the briefing, SpaceX...

www.teslarati.com

 

[scaesare]

"In the meantime, SpaceX’s fleet of reusable Dragon spacecraft looks set to double from four to eight capsules in the next eight months."

This type of speed seems unheard of in the Space industry post-Apollo...

 

[Grendal]

More on Boeing's woes:

Boeing and NASA continue to investigate Starliner valve problem

NASA and Boeing are targeting the first half of 2022 to launch the rescheduled test flight of the CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle.

spacenews.com

 

[Grendal]

SpaceX completely blew up a capsule and had a fix in place within seven months. A launch with astronauts happened almost exactly one year after the destructive anomaly. Starliner has been working on their failures for almost two years and the next test might happen early next year....

Starliner valve investigation continues to focus on moisture interaction with propellant

Boeing is continuing to work through a fault tree to determine the cause of stuck valves that has postponed a Starliner flight test to as late as mid-2022.

spacenews.com

 

[Grendal]

With the serious delay, Scott Manley talks about what could have been: