Boeing Starliner's First Crewed Mission Scrubbed (techcrunch.com) 45
"Out of an abundance of caution," Boeing says its historic Starliner launch has been postponed, citing an issue with the oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket's upper stage. It was expected to launch tonight at 10:34 p.m. ET. TechCrunch reports: There are backup launch opportunities on May 7, 10 and 11. After years of delays and over $1 billion in cost overruns, the mission is set to be Boeing's first attempt to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. Once the issue is resolved with the upper stage, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V will carry the CST-100 Starliner capsule to orbit along with the two onboard astronauts -- Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams -- from Florida's Cape Canaveral at 10:34 PM local time Monday evening. The mission also marks the first time ULA's Atlas will carry crew. The rocket boasts a success rate of 100% across 99 missions. (ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.)
The astronauts would now dock at the station at the earliest on Thursday, where they would remain for at least eight days. The two astronauts will return to Earth in the capsule no earlier than May 16. If all goes to plan, Boeing will be able to finally certify its Starliner for human transportation and begin fulfilling the terms of its $4.2 billion NASA astronaut taxi contract. That contract, under the agency's Commercial Crew Program, was awarded in 2014. Elon Musk's SpaceX was also granted a contract under that program, for its Crew Dragon capsule, and has been transporting astronauts to and from the ISS since 2020.
The astronauts would now dock at the station at the earliest on Thursday, where they would remain for at least eight days. The two astronauts will return to Earth in the capsule no earlier than May 16. If all goes to plan, Boeing will be able to finally certify its Starliner for human transportation and begin fulfilling the terms of its $4.2 billion NASA astronaut taxi contract. That contract, under the agency's Commercial Crew Program, was awarded in 2014. Elon Musk's SpaceX was also granted a contract under that program, for its Crew Dragon capsule, and has been transporting astronauts to and from the ISS since 2020.
Brave pilots (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Brave pilots (Score:4, Insightful)
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I'd like to see the management and shareholders of Boeing being ejected out into space.
Re:Brave pilots (Score:5, Insightful)
Safety is not the absence of accidents, it is the presence of controls. The controls are obviously lacking.
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Just wait. All the aircraft that Boeing has been cutting corners on are still out there, still flying every minute that their owners can keep them in the sky.
Do you really think with all the cost cutting and balance-sheet engineering that those chickens won't come home to roost?
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When you fly, which thing do you pick first, Price, or safety?
My point is, we the consumers are almost monolithic in picking the cheapest option first. I call it the Harbor Freight option. There is a reason there is no SnapOn Tool
or MacTool store in every city.
We're flying in Pittsburg quality airplanes, because that is what most people want.
Re: Brave pilots (Score:2)
Now do minor mishaps. And then consider how they affect overall safety [wikipedia.org].
Not a General Crisis, Just one Company (Score:2)
It's interesting how widespread the perception that we're in a crisis of airline safety
Those statistics are based on the current operating fleet of aircraft which include a lot of Boeing aircraft built when the company prioritized safety (and hence long term profits) over short term gains. Plus, I do not think anyone believes that there is a general crisis in airline safety just a safety crisis in one company, Boeing, that has transitioned from being one of the most trusted names in aviation to one of the most dodgy in an incredibly short time.
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I saw an interview with them only last night. One said "we've been assured everything is ok" or words to that effect. Uh huh. As it turns out - not so much. Not sure where brave crosses over the line to denial but I suspect they're close to it.
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Re: Brave pilots (Score:3)
Re:Brave pilots (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Brave pilots (Score:5, Interesting)
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Butch is 61 years old, and Suni is 58. How long has this flight been delayed in total?
A few more years and they'll be old enough to run for the US senate.
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I think one of them is a chick....not sure about chest hair volume.
Hell, these days...maybe not even a chick...who the hell knows.
*sigh*
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Just check to make sure all the bolts are installed on the door.
So, what was it this time? (Score:5, Funny)
DId they find doors and insulation falling off again?
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Boeing managers falling out of closed windows by accident?
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I certainly hope so, but I haven't seen any names. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
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Safety (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not too worried about the safety aspect. I've been assured the window panel will pop right off so they can exit in any emergency.
thank f***. (Score:1)
jesus.
Flammable tape and sundries (Score:5, Insightful)
And yet, and as much of an eye-roller as the situation is, they're right to scrub the mission for the moment.
That is to say, I'm not sure I'd trust the Boeing launch with everything working perfectly, much less if something was demonstrably NOT working properly.
The other guy. (Score:1)
This time it's a valve for the liquid oxygen tanks. Last time it was a mile (or miles?) of flammable tape. And yet, and as much of an eye-roller as the situation is, they're right to scrub the mission for the moment. That is to say, I'm not sure I'd trust the Boeing launch with everything working perfectly, much less if something was demonstrably NOT working properly.
Given that this program is a joint venture with LockMart, I’m not so sure we should be assuming Boeing was the one who chose to scrub the mission. After all, they have been a bit busy validating their safely record by screening personnel on their ability to whistle.
Don't ask me. Weirdest damn hiring standard I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s a DEI thing.
How much did NASA already pay to Boeing? (Score:1)
This Boeing solution is as cost effective as the previous Space Shuttle program.
Luckily the door nob of the capsule can be reused on the next flight.
Atlas V does not have a 100% success rate (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Atlas V does not have a 100% success rate (Score:4, Interesting)
Abundance of caution??? (Score:3)
"Out of an abundance of caution," Boeing says its historic Starliner launch has been postponed...
The only suitable abundance of caution here would be to keep Boeing the fuck away from playing with rockets. They haven't even established an ongoing ability to build safe airplanes. I'm surprised the astronauts involved would put their lives in the hands of this company when you'd need a scorecard to keep track of all the whistleblowers.
Watch the press conference with ULA (Score:4, Informative)
CEO Tory Bruno. He explained that the Centaur upper stage detected issue with fuel state that cannot be corrected with mechanical means. Had it not being a human flight, but just satellite, they would've just launch it. Safety protocol for human flight comes first.
Not yet ready to kill those two people? (Score:2)
Well, eventually they will be. It is Boeing, after all.
Let me guess crew refused to fly when informed (Score:2)
This is a brave new world for Boeing (Score:4, Interesting)
Even Boeing itself has admitted that this is a new form of venture for them. Boeing has in the past done space travel work on cost-plus contracts, and NASA granted those given the urgency and unknowns at the times. But we are well along in the development of these technologies, and the competition for the Conmercial Crew Program is unique in several arreas. For Boeing, fixed-price contracts for space work are really tough, and they are struggling to manage costs.
Some would say Boeing has failed to control costs, leading to rushes, delays, missed deadlines, technical debt, and ultimately being unable to delvier anywhere on time.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is flying. They have navigated the Conmercial Crew Program constraints well enough.
I really do hope Boeing succeeds, but that is not at all certain as of today. They are playing a new game. Hopefully they will learn.
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SpaceX isn't Tesla, but they are run by the same person. And Tesla "tech" has already caused 20x more deaths than all the astronauts that have been killed ever. And they've had 2 giant explosions in a row with their tech. I'm not sure how much I'd trust my life in one of their ships. I'm honestly not sure I'd feel as safe in a Tesla as I would in a Toyota Camry. I bet I know who spent more money on safety engineering.
During spaceflight. As of March 2024, in-flight accidents have killed 15 astronauts and 4 c
Re: This is a brave new world for Boeing (Score:2)
Apples and oranges. Not too mention the difference in scale. So far I don't think SpaceX has lost a life in space travel, but the sample size is too small. And the same for Boeing and the CCP. But don't compare them on that basis, because first, if you recall, at least one shuttle accident and loss of life was due to very bad decision making by NASA. Not that SpaceX or Boeing are any better, so let's wait and see what happens. In the meantime, Boeing's having a hard time because this is new to them doing it
It's dead, Jim (Score:2)
Nasa can't afford to use it.
If it's Boeing... (Score:2)
We're not going!
abundance of caution (Score:3)
"Out of an abundance of caution." Haha. More like abject fear of failure, a very real possibility, seeing as this combination has never had a fully successful flight.
What's That? (Score:2)
A sudden abundance of caution?
Well, to be fair, Boeing and ULA are new to this (Score:2)
No matter what their execs claim, Boeing has never before built a manned spacecraft (and it shows, when you look at all the stupid errors they've made). ULA similarly has never before launched a manned spacecraft atop a rocket.
Yes, Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas, which designed and built the Mercury and Gemini spacecraft... But NONE of the people from those programs were kept at Boeing - Boeing probably has lots of archived data from those programs, but none of the experience.
Yes, Boeing bought North Amer