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Boeing Starliner Astronauts Have Been In Space Six Weeks Longer Than Originally Planned (arstechnica.com) 51

Posted by BeauHD from the decisions-decisions dept.
Longtime Slashdot reader Randseed writes: Boeing Starliner is apparently still stuck at the ISS, six weeks longer than planned due to engine troubles. The root cause seems to be overheating. NASA is still hopeful that they can bring the two astronauts back on the Starliner, but if not apparently there is a SpaceX Dragon craft docked at the station that can get them home. This is another in a long list of high profile failures by Boeing. This comes after a series of failures in their popular commercial aircraft including undocumented flight system modifications causing crashes of the 737 MAX, doors blowing out in mid-flight, and parts falling off the aircraft. The latter decimated a Toyota in a populated area."I think we're starting to close in on those final pieces of flight rationale to make sure that we can come home safely, and that's our primary focus right now," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program.

"Our prime option is to complete the mission," Stich said. "There are a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner. Starliner was designed, as a spacecraft, to have the crew in the cockpit."
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Boeing Starliner Astronauts Have Been In Space Six Weeks Longer Than Originally Planned More

Boeing Starliner Astronauts Have Been In Space Six Weeks Longer Than Originally Planned

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  • Boing (Score:5, Interesting)

    by mrthoughtful ( 466814 ) on Saturday July 27, 2024 @05:09AM (#64659518) Journal
    While it is always easy to throw evidence of mishaps around, I do not think that the commercial airline arm and the space arm cross over, except right at the top, which may indicate that there is a systemic issue with the company culture that any quick fix will not solve.

    However, correlation is not causality.

    While there is no doubt in my mind that the large government contractors such as Boeing consider NASA/DOD contracts to be a never-ending gravy train, there are quite a few very bright people and extremely able engineers working there.

    Let us not be too hasty in our judgement.
    • It hasn't been weeks since Boeing started to lapse. And the brilliant engineers don't run the place. This ship has sailed, and judgements have been passed. Thank you Wall Street.

      • There are as many brilliant engineers left at Boeing, as there are at Apple and Microsoft and GM and etc. and etc.

        • Do you think this is really an engineering problem? Maybe start with that supposition.

        • Re: Boing (Score:5, Insightful)

          by PPH ( 736903 ) on Saturday July 27, 2024 @10:37AM (#64659852)

          There are as many brilliant engineers left at Boeing

          Not really. Since before their take over by McDonnell-Douglas, Boeing management had decided to switch from being an engineering company to becoming an "honest broker of engineeing services"*. All the actual work would be done by subcontractors, giving Boeing a cut of the action for doing business in their territory.

          *A couple of points: Never do business with someone who feels it necessary to put "honest" in their title. "Honest Ed's Used Cars" comes to mind. And brokers are useful when customers are unfamiliar with a market. Real estate comes to mind. But Boeing's customers know as much as, if not more, about their business and product line. NASA or The Pentagon can just hire the competent subs directly and cut the middle man out of the loop.

    • there is a systemic issue with the company culture that any quick fix will not solve.

      Quick fix: Break the company up. Defense (weapons) is not space. Niether are commercial airliners. Split it up and let each management group optimize its own processes.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      Building spaceships is hard. Engineers can't think of everything, which is why you test. NASA perhaps shouldn't have decided that a spacecraft that lost multiple thrusters in its unmanned tests was ready for actual test pilots.

      The current flight is a test flight, conducted by test pilots though. So far they haven't roasted any astronauts on the ground, or ploughed one into the ground after the parachutes didn't open, which are both things that happened while testing other capsules. The first manned flight o

  • Must feel like (Score:5, Funny)

    by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Saturday July 27, 2024 @06:00AM (#64659538)

    Going on a three hour tour.

  • NASA or, more likely, Boeing are just putting off the announcement for as long as possible. Probably, they will announce it just after some really viral news about the election or something, in hopes it gets completely overlooked.

    • The quote at the end of the summary makes it seem like they are more concerned with saving the starliner ship than the safety of the crew:

      "Our prime option is to complete the mission," Stich said. "There are a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner. Starliner was designed, as a spacecraft, to have the crew in the cockpit."

  • The reason for the delay is because, Boeing told the astronauts they must choose how to return to earth:

    011) 737-MAX-like type of "landing"
    032) window falling off
    053) engine disassembling apart
    075) surprise me!

    No wonder they are delaying it until SpaceX offers its help.

    BTW, the numbered list, as you might notice, is not continuous. The reason is that Boeing hidden away the scariest options. You might guess how many issues are there by just looking at that leading funny zero.

  • Their pilotless taxis in a couple years will be a blast: https://www.reuters.com/busine... [reuters.com]

  • Remember the days when Boeing and ULA were arguing that SpaceX shouldn't even be allowed to bid on the Commercial Crew Program (CCP), now Boeing hasn't even been able to make a single round trip. I wonder if SpaceX will get paid at the same rate per seat for the mission contracts that Boeing won't be able to fulfill?

  • Nothing like stranding a couple of astronauts in space as hostages to milk this contract for some overages... can't waste an emergency after all!
  • Planes are literally falling off the sky. My prediction is they’ll return the astronauts on the Dragon and let the Airliner burn into the atmosphere.
  • I wonder how those astronauts are taking this mentally, they expected to be home doing other things right nowâ¦not floating in space wondering if they will make it back alive or not. NASA needs to just bring them home on dragon, if they want someone else to be a test flight dummy for the return trip on Starliner, send some other people back up to complete the mission.

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