Boeing Starliner Docks With ISS (space.com) 30
Longtime Slashdot reader destinyland shared a story from Space.com reporting on Boeing's missed opportunity to dock with the International Space Station, after five of the 28 thrusters that help control Starliner's movement in space stopped operating. NASA has since been able to recover four of the thrusters to successfully dock Boeing's Starliner capsule with the ISS. From the report: There are now two U.S.-built crew spacecraft docked with the ISS for the first time. Boeing's Starliner joined SpaceX's Dragon capsule "Endeavour," which arrived in March. Boeing's Starliner launched successfully on Wednesday to begin the crew flight test. The mission represents a final major step before NASA certifies Boeing to fly crew on operational missions. [...]
NASA flight controllers called off a previously scheduled approach to resolve issues with Starliner's propulsion system. Starliner has 28 jets, known as its reaction control system, or RCS, engines, that help the spacecraft make small movements in orbit. The crew on Starliner, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were told by NASA capsule communicator, or CAPCOM, Neal Nagata, that the 12:15 p.m. docking attempt had to be called off to resolve the spacecraft's propulsion issue. CAPCOM Nagata noted that the ISS has a zero fault tolerance for a spacecraft control problem.
The agency and Boeing had to troubleshoot five of the RCS jets that were not operating. Four of Starliner's malfunctioning jets were recovered after Wilmore and Williams worked with flight controllers to test fire the thrusters. CAPCOM Nagata had the astronauts hold the spacecraft beyond the "keep out sphere," an invisible boundary around the ISS that serves as a safety measure, while diagnosing the problematic thrusters.
NASA flight controllers called off a previously scheduled approach to resolve issues with Starliner's propulsion system. Starliner has 28 jets, known as its reaction control system, or RCS, engines, that help the spacecraft make small movements in orbit. The crew on Starliner, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were told by NASA capsule communicator, or CAPCOM, Neal Nagata, that the 12:15 p.m. docking attempt had to be called off to resolve the spacecraft's propulsion issue. CAPCOM Nagata noted that the ISS has a zero fault tolerance for a spacecraft control problem.
The agency and Boeing had to troubleshoot five of the RCS jets that were not operating. Four of Starliner's malfunctioning jets were recovered after Wilmore and Williams worked with flight controllers to test fire the thrusters. CAPCOM Nagata had the astronauts hold the spacecraft beyond the "keep out sphere," an invisible boundary around the ISS that serves as a safety measure, while diagnosing the problematic thrusters.
Well at least the door plug stayed on! (Score:2)
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Re: Well at least the door plug stayed on! (Score:2)
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Hmm, I hope the crew gets back down safely.
Have faith in gravity.
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BO will do what they do. Who cares?
"Omg, like Elon is so cute and has like a rockets n stuff and I don't even like the color blue! They must be gay!" -- AC Elon fanboy checks AC box to avoid public humiliation for his drooling Musk cock sucking display
For someone who woke up early to watch Apollo 11 (Score:4, Interesting)
This is pretty amazing. I still remember those fuzzy images on the B&W TV in 1969.
Now there's two private - quasi-private - companies docking their craft with a NASA space station.
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considering Boeing's track record (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:considering Boeing's track record (Score:4, Insightful)
i am surprised the doors didn't fall off on the way up, also surprised astronauts had the courage to ride in it with knowing how Boeing safety record lately
To be fair, Boeing's "safety record lately" for airplanes has been something like one failure in ten million take-offs. If that's going to be their safety record for rockets, they'll be the safest launch vehicle in history.
Zero means 1, apparently. (Score:5, Interesting)
"ISS has a zero fault tolerance for a spacecraft control problem", but they still let it dock with 1 thruster not working. Zero apparently means "close enough" in space.
Re: Zero means 1, apparently. (Score:3)
I suspect the water recycling pump on board was the "number 1" issue here. If NASA turned it away after it was so close, the ISS astronauts would have been pissed!
Re:Zero means 1, apparently. (Score:5, Interesting)
They probably mean zero faults that have not been certified to not compromise the craft's manoeuvrability beyond some threshold. As in no jerry rigged docking, there has to be a pre-approved procedure.
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"ISS has a zero fault tolerance for a spacecraft control problem", but they still let it dock with 1 thruster not working. Zero apparently means "close enough" in space.
Vehicles wandering around in space have always had problems, especially in early use. The Starliner obviously had the ability to maneuver and dock.
I think that NASA is more skittish about a repeat of the Nauka module that happened in 2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/scien... [bbc.com] and want to make certain that it's guests don't do a repeat of that.
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They mean zero *FATAL* faults
Severe injury is FINE
How? (Score:2)
Sorry to be all 'nerd' on this site but how did they remotely get four thrusters working?
This seems to suggest control software should be updated to auto-clear (or whatever) malfunctioning thrusters. Probably soon after orbit is achieved before maneuvering for ISS rendezvous.
If it were one that would be a fluke. But a double-digit percent is a systemic flaw that can be engineered.
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Musk and Boeing (Score:2)
Why can't anyone likeable build a rocket?
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cruisin' (Score:2)
This starliner thing is cruisin' for a bruisin'. The defect rate is not sustainable for what its mission is. Something really bad is bound to happen. History of independent failures in multiple systems. Not a propitious sign.
But how much did this cost? (Score:2)
How much did this Starliner flight cost compared to a similar flight on SpaceX?
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Boeing is charging NASA about $120 million per seat. SpaceX is charging NASA about $90 million. To be fair, Crew Dragon cannot reboost ISS, while Starliner can (but not on this test flight), so Starliner have that going for it.