#NASA & #Boeing are now targeting NET Monday, May 6 for the launch of #Starliner’s Crew Flight Test (#CFT) mission to the #ISS.“The date adjustment optimizes space station schedule of activities.”https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/04/02/nasa-boeing-update-launch-date-for-starliners-first-astronaut-flight/
Namely, the #ISS visiting vehicle manifest still has some things listed towards the end of April, including the departure of CRS-30 & a port relocation for Dragon Endeavour (Crew-8).#NASA also notes that #CFT prelaunch closeouts & final certification is still ongoing.
@BoeingSpace#Starliner is now loaded onto the transporter that will roll it out of our factory tomorrow, April 16. It will head to @ulalaunch's Vertical Integration Facility to be integrated with the #AtlasV rocket for the Crew Flight Test launch on May 6.
Boeing in its quarterly report says Starliner's "return to Earth was delayed to allow time to perform further testing of propulsion system anomalies" and that those delays have cost the company $125 million so far.
From the Boeing 10-Q:
Commercial CrewNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has contracted us to design and build the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to transport crews to the Intemational Space Station (ISS). In the second quarter of 2022, we successfully completed the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test. During 2023, we increased the reach-forward loss by $288 primarily as a result of delaying the Crewed Flight Test (CFT) following notification by a parachute supplier of an issue identified through testing. The CFT launched on June 5, 2024, and docked with the ISS. The Starliner spacecraft had a minimum mission duration of 8 days. Its return to Earth was delayed to allow time to perform further testing of propulsion system anomalies. As a result of the CFT delays, during the three months ended June 30, 2024, we increased the reach-forward loss on the program by $125.
NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 14, to provide an update on the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Mission managers continue to evaluate the Starliner spacecraft’s readiness in advance of decisional meetings no earlier than next week regarding the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website at:https://www.nasa.gov/nasatvParticipants include:Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission DirectorateJoel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission DirectorateRuss DeLoach, chief, NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance NASA chief astronaut Joe AcabaEmily Nelson, chief flight director, NASA’s Flight Operations DirectorateTo ask questions during the teleconference, media must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the call to Jimi Russell at: [email protected]. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test launched on June 5 on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is an end-to-end test of the Starliner system as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Through partnership with American private industry, NASA is opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities.For NASA’s blog and more information about the mission, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew-end-
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership will hold an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review on Saturday, Aug. 24, for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. About an hour later, NASA will host a live news conference at 1 p.m. EDT from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston....NASA and Boeing have gathered data, both in space and on the ground, regarding the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion and helium systems to better understand the ongoing technical challenges. The review will include a mission status update, review of technical data and closeout actions, as well as certify flight rationale to proceed with undocking and return from the space station.NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test launched on June 5 on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is an end-to-end test of the Starliner system as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Through partnership with American private industry, NASA is opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities.
Continuing American leadership in space is so important for our national security and scientific innovation. (1/2)
I spoke with Administrator Nelson this morning about the Starliner decision and asked NASA to regularly update the Committee as they continue to work to bring our astronauts home safely. (2/2)
AUGUST 24, 2024RANKING MEMBERS LOFGREN AND SORENSEN STATEMENT ON NASA DECISION TO RETURN STARLINER TO EARTH UNCREWED(WASHINGTON, DC) --Today, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the space agency’s decision to return the Boeing Starliner spacecraft to Earth uncrewed. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain on the International Space Station and are slated to return early next year on Crew Dragon. Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Member Eric Sorensen (D-IL) made the following statement:“NASA’s decision to return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station on a Crew Dragon vehicle rather than the Boeing Starliner flight test vehicle is the culmination of weeks of exhaustive testing and deliberation," said Ranking Members Lofgren and Sorensen. “We commend NASA and Boeing’s commitment to prioritizing safety. We thank astronauts Wilmore and Williams for their heroic teamwork, patience, and flexibility on the Crew Flight Test mission, and we look forward to their safe return home. The concerning events leading to today’s decision, however, must be understood and addressed. As leaders of the Science Committee, we will work to understand what went wrong, the impact on International Space Station operations, and the implications of the commercial crew public-private-partnership experiment on future NASA human spaceflight and exploration arrangements going forward.” Further background on the Boeing Starliner mission is below:In 2014, NASA awarded Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts to SpaceX and Boeing to complete the development and certification of human space transportation systems for carrying NASA crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS). One of the requirements for certification of the new vehicles was a crewed flight demonstration mission to the ISS.The SpaceX Crew Dragon crew vehicle was certified in 2020 after a successful crewed demonstration mission and began routine, NASA astronaut crew transport to and from the ISS operations later that same year.The Boeing Starliner crew vehicle completed its uncrewed flight test to dock with the ISS and return to Earth in 2022. On June 5, 2024, Starliner launched with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams for its Crew Flight Test (CFT), and Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6. The originally planned 8-day test mission was extended to what is now 80 days, as NASA has worked to understand the root cause of thruster performance and helium leaks that impacted Starliner’s flight to the ISS.
NASA, @Boeing, and @SpaceX are preparing for a busy year ahead. Here's what's coming up ⤵️➡️#Crew10, NET Feb. 2025➡️#Crew11, NET July 2025➡️#Starliner, looking at windows of opportunity for a potential 2025 flight pending certification and operational readinesshttp://go.nasa.gov/3Ypx3Sy
Interesting wording on Starliner's next flight.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/10/15/nasa-updates-2025-commercial-crew-plan/QuoteNASA Updates 2025 Commercial Crew PlanNASA and its industry partners Boeing and SpaceX continue planning next year’s missions to the International Space Station for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. While significant work remains to prepare for these flights, the agency expects a busy year of in-orbit activities and is planning windows of opportunity for mission teams to target, pending operational readiness and station traffic.Crew-10NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is targeting no earlier than February 2025. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain, commander, and Nichole Ayers, pilot, along with mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the space station to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. This mission will be the second spaceflight for McClain and Onishi, and the first for Ayers and Peskov.Crew-9, which arrived at the space station on Sept. 29, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Grubonov, will return to Earth with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore accompanying Hague and Gorbunov, following a short handover with Crew-10.Crew-11NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 will be the second crew rotation flight of 2025 and is targeted for no earlier than July to benefit the space station needs, including accommodating resupply flights and other operations aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA will announce the four-person crew at a later date.Next Starliner FlightThe timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established. This determination will include considerations for incorporating Crew Flight Test lessons learned, approvals of final certification products, and operational readiness.Meanwhile, NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025.NASA will provide more information when available.For more on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program missions to the orbiting laboratory follow the commercial crew blog and the program’s social media accounts via @commercial_crew on X and commercial crew on Facebook.Author Elyna Niles-CarnesPosted on October 15, 2024Categories Commercial Crew, Commercial Crew Program, International Space Station, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, NASA AstronautsTags anne McClain, Boeing Starliner, NASA's SpaceX Crew-10, NASA's SpaceX Crew-11, NASA's SpaceX Crew-9, Nichole Ayers
NASA Updates 2025 Commercial Crew PlanNASA and its industry partners Boeing and SpaceX continue planning next year’s missions to the International Space Station for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. While significant work remains to prepare for these flights, the agency expects a busy year of in-orbit activities and is planning windows of opportunity for mission teams to target, pending operational readiness and station traffic.Crew-10NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is targeting no earlier than February 2025. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain, commander, and Nichole Ayers, pilot, along with mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the space station to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. This mission will be the second spaceflight for McClain and Onishi, and the first for Ayers and Peskov.Crew-9, which arrived at the space station on Sept. 29, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Grubonov, will return to Earth with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore accompanying Hague and Gorbunov, following a short handover with Crew-10.Crew-11NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 will be the second crew rotation flight of 2025 and is targeted for no earlier than July to benefit the space station needs, including accommodating resupply flights and other operations aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA will announce the four-person crew at a later date.Next Starliner FlightThe timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established. This determination will include considerations for incorporating Crew Flight Test lessons learned, approvals of final certification products, and operational readiness.Meanwhile, NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025.NASA will provide more information when available.For more on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program missions to the orbiting laboratory follow the commercial crew blog and the program’s social media accounts via @commercial_crew on X and commercial crew on Facebook.Author Elyna Niles-CarnesPosted on October 15, 2024Categories Commercial Crew, Commercial Crew Program, International Space Station, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, NASA AstronautsTags anne McClain, Boeing Starliner, NASA's SpaceX Crew-10, NASA's SpaceX Crew-11, NASA's SpaceX Crew-9, Nichole Ayers
NASA is looking at slots to fly an unpiloted Starliner spacecraft on a cargo mission to the space station next year, perhaps to verify modifications to the ship's propulsion system really fix the problems discovered on the test flight this year.
“The program anticipates the propulsive system anomalies will remain open,” he said, “pending ongoing test campaigns.” He added there are teams studying the root cause of the thruster problems, developing recommendations for changes to future missions and assessing “technical and organizational factors” that may have played a role.Hill said ASAP was satisfied with the progress and course of action by Boeing and NASA. “The details shared by NASA gave us confidence that they are focusing on the right core issues and the related path to safely flying Starliner.”While the ASAP meeting did not provide many technical details about the Starliner investigation, it was perhaps the most detailed public update into the investigation since Starliner’s return nearly five months ago. Neither NASA nor Boeing have provided much information about the investigation since the landing.
https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1885068548659097781
Boeing's Starliner VP Mark Nappi has left his position for an advisory role advising the company on improvements across its space unit, before retiring next month.
Nappi, who led Boeing's Starliner program from 2022 through major engineering issues and testing mishaps, is currently in a new role "focused on identifying opportunities for streamlining improvement across the division's space programs until he retires next month," the company said.Mulholland previously led Boeing's Starliner program from 2011 before switching in 2020 to the company's International Space Station program, which works closely with NASA under a multibillion-dollar station operations contract.
According to Boeing's 10-K filing with the SEC today, the company took charges of $523 million on Starliner in 2024. The company had reported $375 million of those losses in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
2016 - $162 million2018 - $57 million2019 - $489 million2021 - $214 million2022 - $288 million2023 - $288 million2024 - $523 million________________Total: $2.021 billion
Hannity: You’re going to help rescue two astronauts Musk: They were left up there for political reasons
What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.
You are fully retarded. SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago. I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Return WAS pushed back for political reasons. Idiot.
Elon, I have long admired you and what you have accomplished, especially at SpaceX and Tesla. You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September. Even now, you are not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home. They are returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since last September.
