DocM Posted November 14, 2023 Author Share Posted November 14, 2023 LC-40's new Dragon crew/cargo tower is nearing completion. Besides making possible near-simultaneous Dragon launches, this will also provide a redundant crew/cargo tower in case something takes out LC-39a. bguy_1986 and xrobwx71 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 24, 2023 Author Share Posted December 24, 2023 (edited) 2023 Commercial Crew review Unless Boeing gets their rear in gear, SpaceX could launch Crew 9, or even Crew 10, before Boeing launches Starliner 1 (Boeing's first operational crew mission). Boeing's Starliner team spent over half of 2023 replacing hundreds of feet of tape. They had used tape with a flammable glue to wrap the wiring harness. Oops. Don't expect to see any mention of this and a parachute problem in the NASA video, so here's the ARs Technica article https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/06/boeing-stands-down-from-starliner-launch-to-address-recently-found-problems/ Edited December 24, 2023 by DocM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 (edited) Starliner CFT https://spacenews.com/starliner-arrives-at-the-pad-for-crewed-test-flight/ Quote Starliner arrives at the pad for crewed test flight WASHINGTON — Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is now installed on the Atlas 5 rocket that will launch the spacecraft on a crewed test flight to the International Space Station next month. > A successful CFT would allow NASA to complete certification of Starliner for regular crew rotation missions, starting with Starliner-1 in early 2025 [...] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bguy_1986 Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 Kind of crazy to me that they are allowing crew on this flight test after all of the other issues they've experienced throughout this process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsItPluggedIn Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 On 17/04/2024 at 23:32, bguy_1986 said: Kind of crazy to me that they are allowing crew on this flight test after all of the other issues they've experienced throughout this process. I feel like if it was anybody else NASA would have made them do another test flight. I would have considering how many issues they have had. I do wonder what the outcry would be like if they lose the crew, considering Dragons success. If Dragon wasn't already successful you would see lots of people saying to scrap the program and NASA should build their own. But Dragon is successful and the traditional contractor that NASA uses had failed. Would be an interesting time. bguy_1986 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 (edited) On 17/04/2024 at 19:30, IsItPluggedIn said: I feel like if it was anybody else NASA would have made them do another test flight. I would have considering how many issues they have had. CFT originally had 4 crew members. One was a Boeing engineer who dropped out, with a persistent rumor that it was a spousal veto after the first disastrous test flight. Since then the crew has been trimmed from 3 to 2, and I think that's 2 too many. I'm absolutely in favor of another test flight. Unfortunately, there aren't enough Atlas V vehicles. They are all spoken for, and building more is out because of its Russian RD-180 engine. Vulcan is also not fully qualified, and an adapter for Falcon 9 would take too long to qualify. Starliner is snake-bit. On 17/04/2024 at 19:30, IsItPluggedIn said: I do wonder what the outcry would be like if they lose the crew, considering Dragons success. If Dragon wasn't already successful you would see lots of people saying to scrap the program and NASA should build their own. But Dragon is successful and the traditional contractor that NASA uses had failed. Would be an interesting time. If there were a loss of crew on this mission Boeing would be in a world of hurt, their already tattered reputation being further soiled by 2 more graves. Commercial Crew 3 will include new entrants, including Dream Chaser 200 which is getting a new airframe. The cargo version should be flying this year. Blue Origin is also talking about CC3, but I'm not taking them very seriously until New Glenn flies. They are still having trouble with BE-4 engine deliveries. If Starliner manages to fly its 6 operational missions without killing or scaring the bejesus out of anyone, I think they will walk away from CC3. They may quit sooner if Starliner has more problems. India should be flying a crew vehicle within a few years, so they could be an interesting addition. Some important tests coming up. bguy_1986 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 (edited) NASA safety panel: understatement of the century Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 (edited) This was kind of expected, Even if Starliner CFT goes well, it's looking like Russia will not fly a cosmonaut on Starliner-1, its first operational mission. Can't disagree with them... https://spacenews.com/russia-may-skip-first-operational-starliner-mission/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now