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ISS Space

Boeing Scrubs Launch of Starliner Crew Capsule To Space Station (cbsnews.com) 60

The launch of Boeing's Starliner crew capsule on an unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station was scrubbed Tuesday because of an undisclosed technical issue. Mission managers told the launch team to recycle for another attempt Wednesday at 12:57 p.m. ET, weather permitting. From a report: The launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket initially was planned for last Friday, but NASA ordered a delay while Russian space station engineers resolved problems with a newly arrived laboratory module. Over the weekend, the Starliner launch was reset for Tuesday. Forecasters monitoring Florida's typically stormy summer afternoon weather predicted a 60% chance of acceptable conditions then lowered the odds to 50-50. The team pressed ahead with fueling, but around 10:30 a.m., Boeing confirmed a scrub, tweeting, "We're confirming today's #Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 launch is scrubbed. More details soon."

The Starliner flight marks a major milestone for Boeing and NASA as the agency transitions from hitching rides aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft to fielding commercial crew ships built by Boeing and SpaceX. SpaceX, under a $2.6 billion NASA contract, launched its Crew Dragon spacecraft on a successful unpiloted test flight in 2019 and a piloted test flight last year. Since then, the California rocket builder has launched two operational flights to the space station carrying two long-duration crews to the outpost.

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Boeing Scrubs Launch of Starliner Crew Capsule To Space Station

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  • It's not a trick, it's Boeing.

  • by groobly ( 6155920 ) on Tuesday August 03, 2021 @11:18AM (#61651021)

    Looking more and more like they need to quit while they're behind.

  • undisclosed technical issue

    Maybe a DAL-A [wikipedia.org] flight-critical system with no redundancy? [wikipedia.org]

    Nah... It's not like Boeing to make silly design mistakes like that.

  • If you are an engineer who loves aerospace and work at Boeing, apply to RelativitySpace or SpaceX. Note, if you are an MBA, finance, or business management type out to âoeoptimizeâ costs then stay at Boeing. Please.

  • by mykepredko ( 40154 ) on Tuesday August 03, 2021 @11:51AM (#61651189) Homepage

    Here's the announcement: https://starlinerupdates.com/n... [starlinerupdates.com]

    If things don't look perfect then you don't launch - I would hold off on excoriating Boeing or anybody else. Something looked awry and so the launch was scrubbed until everybody's satisfied things are perfect.

    • I think the reason people are throwing Boeing under the bus at this point isn't a singular launch scrub. It's more that this is the feather that's (continuing) breaking the camel's back. They've had so many failures and missed opportunities that even in a perfectly reasonable situation where you see something off and have to hold off for a day or two, it's easy to roast them.

      That said, they do need a win. And soon. As it is it looks like they're slowly spinning their wheels while making no actual moveme

      • by sjames ( 1099 )

        As it is it looks like they're slowly spinning their wheels while making no actual movement in any direction but down.

        So it's MCAS all the way down.

  • According to TFA, the issue was with the Space Station not a problem with the Boeing craft.

    At least this time anyway.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Read it again. The previous delay was due to the space station issues with the new module. This delay was due to an anomaly with a valve in the Starliner propulsion system

    • by vix86 ( 592763 ) on Tuesday August 03, 2021 @12:09PM (#61651237)

      This is not accurate. Last week's attempt was due to the space station (a thruster unexpectedly fired on the station).

      More recent [go.com] news states:

      The attempt (Today -- Tuesday) was scrubbed "due to unexpected valve position indications in the Starliner propulsion system," NASA noted.

      So the scrub today was due to something with the spacecraft.

    • I am surprised with the original schedule anyway.

      The Space station had a scheduled arrival of a large module (for the first time in many years) which requires wiring, integration, hooking up systems, etc. Even without the infamous stability control system incident that would have taken a few days.

      The scheduling of a flight of anything at the same time smells as if someone did not believe that Nauka will make it to dock.

  • At some point, NASA is just going to have to admit that the only contractor who can meet any non-cost-plus contracts is SpaceX. That will be politically untenable, though.
    • Well, ESA, JASA and, do we like it or not, Roskosmos are usually meeting their commitments.

      So in order to be correct, your statement should say "American Contractor".

    • At some point, NASA is just going to have to admit that the only contractor who can meet any non-cost-plus contracts is SpaceX. That will be politically untenable, though.

      If the space industry was sane, it would just license the Soyez modules off the russians and modernize them with american electroics. Those things are super reliable, safe, battle tested.

      • by hawk ( 1151 )

        Soyez capsule wouldn't be useful for anything other than transport of people. It won't land on the mood, and would still require boosters for which SpaceX has a stunning edge.

        And spaceX is reusing the capsule, as well. Even if adapting the US tech to it had no cost, it's still a one-shot that would have to compete with reusable.

  • They needed to wind the master clock and someone misplaced the key.

  • What, you actually believe that Boeing would be denied taxpayer dollars? There are powerful, wealthy people who want those programs to keep on running. Take away the "jobs" excuse and there are ten more fig leaves behind it. Don't worry, this scrubbed launch won't prevent a single payment.

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