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#460 by deadman1204 on 03 Oct, 2023 14:14
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The way that I parse it:
Boeing can't abandon the NASA contract despite the huge financial losses as it would have huge implications for other NASA + military contracts
Boeing is not rushing to pay ULA for Vulcan human rating due to the recent rumors of issues with Blue Reef and general global economic cooling
So, things we knew already. No secret squirrel business.
One positive note - Northrop dropped its bid and joined team Airbus. The bidders consolidating isn't a bad thing. There was obviously too many to start with. It would be a bad sign if northrop just walked away. Instead they are joining the team that has the biggest chance. ESA won't be involved if they are just paying lots of money to american companies. The airbus team will use alot of EU companies as well. So that team has a big geopolitical advantage that no one else does. -
#461 by hoku on 12 Oct, 2023 19:41
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NASA Updates Commercial Crew Planning Manifest
Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT)
The first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft, named NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT), is planned for no earlier than mid-April. ...
10th Crew Rotation Mission
The 10th commercial crew rotation opportunity to the space station is targeted for early 2025. NASA is planning for either SpaceX’s Crew-10 or Boeing’s Starliner-1 mission in this slot....
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2023/10/12/nasa-updates-commercial-crew-planning-manifest -
#462 by FutureSpaceTourist on 26 Oct, 2023 19:17
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https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/1717615073051427012Quote
Kent Rominger conveys that ASAP is pleased with Boeing's progress on Starliner. Still work to do for CFT and for Starliner-1. Lot going on, lot to accomplish, lot for NASA to keep an eye on and we'll follow closely.
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#463 by FutureSpaceTourist on 04 Nov, 2023 21:16
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Crosspost from CFT launch thread:
Taken at a family day today:
https://twitter.com/mhaskellphoto/status/1720916220138967198QuoteIf outward appearances mean anything, the @BoeingSpace Starliner CFT looks like she’s ready to fly, reusing the capsule from OFT-1.
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#464 by ddspaceman on 22 Nov, 2023 14:21
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NASA Commercial Crew
@Commercial_Crew
Welcome aboard,@Astro_Kutryk!
@csa_asc astronaut Joshua Kutryk has been selected as a mission specialist for NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. Kutryk joins @NASA_Astronauts Scott Tingle + Mike Fincke for its first crew rotation flight to @Space_Station: https://go.nasa.gov/3Rc7Rvp
https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1727345662801670423
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#465 by ddspaceman on 22 Nov, 2023 14:58
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Mission Specialist Assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 Mission
James Cawley Posted on November 22, 2023
CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk has been selected as a mission specialist for NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission – the first crew rotation flight for the spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Kutryk joins Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke of NASA, who will serve as the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. Both astronauts have previously flown as crew members aboard the space station. This will be Kutryk’s first spaceflight. The final crew assignment for Starliner-1 will be announced following review and approval by the agency and its international partners.
Starliner-1 will launch following the successful completion of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT), with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, which aims to demonstrate Starliner’s ability to achieve NASA certification and safely fly regular crewed missions to space station. Kutryk is the capsule communicator for ascent and re-entry of the CFT mission, relaying communication from Mission Control at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to the astronauts aboard the spacecraft.
NASA and Boeing are targeting the Starliner-1 launch no earlier than the beginning of 2025 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The four astronauts will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2023/11/22/mission-specialist-assigned-to-nasas-boeing-starliner-1-mission/
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#466 by ddspaceman on 22 Nov, 2023 15:16
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Col. Mike Fincke
@AstroIronMike
Welcome @Astro_Kutryk ! It will be great flying with you! Can’t wait to see your reaction when you see Earth from orbit!
Boeing Space
@BoeingSpace
Starliner-1 @Astro_Kutryk reporting for duty! ⭐️👨🚀
Our team is thrilled to share the assignment of @csa_asc astronaut Joshua Kutryk to #Starliner’s 1st post-certification flight.
Josh will join pilot @AstroIronMike & commander @Astro_Maker1 as a Starliner-1 mission specialist.
In 2017, @Astro_Kutryk was selected by @csa_asc through the fourth Canadian Astronaut recruitment campaign. He joined the @NASA_Astronauts corps in 2020.
#Starliner's first operational mission to @Space_Station will also be Josh's first trip to space.
https://twitter.com/AstroIronMike/status/1727357581671432443
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#467 by ddspaceman on 22 Nov, 2023 15:20
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Boeing Space
@BoeingSpace
Ahead of #Starliner-1, @Astro_Kutryk is also training to be the Ascent and Entry CAPCOM for #CFT astronauts Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni. CAPCOM is the communication liaison between the crew and the Mission Control Center at @NASA_Johnson.
You can learn more about @Astro_Kutryk here: https://bit.ly/49Mw9mG
https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1727356718915653903
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#468 by yg1968 on 10 Jan, 2024 02:54
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#469 by yg1968 on 12 Jan, 2024 19:05
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Starliner Parachute System Upgrade Tested Before Crewed Flight:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/01/12/starliner-parachute-system-upgrade-tested-before-crewed-flight/
https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1745826696442302652 -
#470 by FutureSpaceTourist on 13 Jan, 2024 15:35
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https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/01/12/starliner-parachute-system-upgrade-tested-before-crewed-flight/Quote
Starliner Parachute System Upgrade Tested Before Crewed Flight
A modified parachute system for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was tested over the Arizona desert on Jan. 9. Parachute deployment and a soft landing of the test article were visually confirmed. Preliminary data analysis of this two-parachute test suggest the primary test objectives were met. Engineering teams will continue to review the results, inspect the test parachutes, and work to complete system certification in the weeks ahead.
In the meantime, NASA and Boeing are proceeding with preparations for Starliner to carry astronauts for the first time to the International Space Station during the Crew Flight Test, currently slated to launch no earlier than mid-April on a mission lasting about 10 days.
The drop test, which used a Starliner parachute system attached to a dart-shaped sled the same weight as a Starliner, was performed to confirm the functioning of a redesigned and strengthened soft link joint that is part of the network of lines connecting the parachutes to the spacecraft. The test also validated a change to strengthen one textile joint in the parachute, increasing overall parachute robustness. As with other capsules, Starliner relies on parachutes to land safely when it returns to Earth.
A C-130 cargo aircraft from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virgina, carried the test article and parachutes high above the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona before releasing them. Engineering teams, CFT astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams and Starliner-1 astronaut Mike Fincke watched from the drop zone below. The Starliner main parachutes were lifted from the test article using flight-like pilot parachutes before inflating fully to slow the test dart to the same soft-landing velocity experienced by the Starliner spacecraft in flight.
Starliner completed two uncrewed flight tests including Orbital Flight Test-2, which docked to the space station on May 21, 2022.
Follow NASA’s commercial crew blog or CFT mission blog for the latest information on progress. Details about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.
Author Jason Costa
Posted on January 12, 2024Categories Boeing, Commercial Crew, Commercial Spaceflight, International Space Station, NASA, NASA Astronauts
Tags Butch Wilmore, C-130, CFT, Crew Flight Test, drop test, Mike Fincke, parachute system, Suni Williams, U.S. Army, Wallops Flight Facility, Yuma Proving Ground
Captions:QuoteA NASA C-130 cargo aircraft releases a dart-shaped test vehicle above the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground on Jan. 9 to begin the testing sequence for a Boeing Starliner parachute system. Credit: U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
QuoteA pair of parachutes lower the dart-shaped test vehicle to the ground to conclude the drop test for a modified parachute for the Starliner spacecraft. Credit: U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
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#471 by FutureSpaceTourist on 24 Jan, 2024 22:01
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https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/01/24/nasa-boeing-move-into-next-phases-of-flight-test-prep/Quote
NASA, Boeing Move into Next Phases of Flight Test Prep
NASA and Boeing teams are preparing for a flight test no earlier than mid-April in which the Starliner spacecraft will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
Teams have made significant progress in resolving technical issues identified during the agency’s flight certification process. Following a successful drop test earlier this month in which recent modifications to Starliner’s parachute system were validated, NASA and Boeing are working to perform final analysis of the test data and complete overall system certification ahead of Starliner’s first crewed flight. This standard NASA process is designed to independently verify Starliner’s parachute system meets crew safety requirements and is expected to continue over the next six to eight weeks.
Meanwhile, Boeing completed removal of P213 tape that may have posed a flammability risk in certain environmental conditions. Boeing removed more than 17 pounds, or roughly 4,300 feet, of the material from the Starliner crew module. For areas in which removal of the tape carried an increased risk to Starliner hardware, Boeing applied tested remediation techniques such as overwrapping the P213 tape with another non-flammable, chafe-resistant tape, and installing fire breaks on wire harnesses. The agency worked to clarify the properties and safe usage guidance relative to P213 tape in the NASA Materials Usage Agreements database to prevent a similar misapplication from occurring across industry in the future.
Additionally, major integrated flight operations exercises are underway. Mission support teams recently completed a two-day undock to landing mission dress rehearsal with recovery personnel on the ground at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Teams simulated Crew Flight Test procedures and spacecraft sequences starting with pre-undock powerup and continuing through undock, entry, landing, and crew recovery. The exercise provided an additional training opportunity for NASA and Boeing to practice Starliner’s return to Earth in a high-fidelity environment before the flight.
Teams from ULA (United Launch Alliance) are preparing the Atlas V rocket hardware for processing and spacecraft integration. Boeing is targeting completion of Starliner assembly at the end of January. The upgraded parachutes were delivered and installed on the spacecraft, along with Starliner’s forward heat shield and ascent cover. Prior to fueling operations, following final installation of thermal protection system blankets and internal closeout work, Boeing will begin flowing a nitrogen purge into the Starliner’s service module to ensure ambient moisture does not permeate into the propulsion isolation or active thermal control system valves. In the weeks ahead, NASA and Boeing will work to identify any remaining work before loading Starliner propellant.
The next couple of months teams will:
work to complete overall Crew Flight Test certification;
put the finishing touches on the Starliner spacecraft, which is already joined to its service module;
run simulations of operational conditions to rehearse every phase of the mission with the crew, flight controllers, and ground operations teams;
fuel the spacecraft with propellants for its onboard thrusters for in-space maneuvering;
stack the ULA Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft before rolling them to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida;
and work through detailed systems reviews, culminating with a flight readiness review in the days before launch to verify the system and teams are ready.
Starliner’s Crew Flight Test will launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the orbiting laboratory for a stay of one to two weeks before returning them to a landing in the southwest United States. The mission will mirror the tasks of regular crew rotation flights for Boeing’s Starliner under contracts with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Follow the commercial crew blog or Crew Flight Test mission blog for the latest information on Starliner’s progress toward launch. Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook.
Author Elyna Niles-Carnes
Posted on January 24, 2024
Categories Boeing, Commercial Crew, Commercial Spaceflight, International Space Station, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, NASA AstronautsTags Atlas V, Atlas V rocket, Boeing, Boeing Starliner-1, Butch Wilmore, CFT, Crew Flight Test, drop test, NASA, NASA Kennedy Space Center, United Launch Alliance
Caption:QuoteBoeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew ship is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on the International Space Station as the orbitng complex flew 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexican state of Nayarit. Photo credit: NASA
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#472 by FutureSpaceTourist on 16 Feb, 2024 06:31
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Crossposts:
https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1758233088071504265
QuoteOur team recently joined @Commercial_Crew to evaluate #Starliner's upgraded parachute design.
Data analysis shows the two-parachute test over @ypg_az was a success and all test objectives were met, clearing the way for the Crew Flight Test.https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1758265044960166282
QuoteInside Our Factory: A new parachute system is now installed on the #Starliner spacecraft that will soon perform our Crew Flight Test.
This upgraded design improves the system's soft links, reinforces its main parachute suspension, and strengthens its radial line. -
#473 by ddspaceman on 29 Feb, 2024 15:43
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Boeing Space
@BoeingSpace
#Starliner is officially packed for the upcoming Crew Flight Test. Its cargo includes essential items for Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni, along with commemorative coins, @NASA Silver Snoopy pins and student-made artwork from around the world.
Learn more: https://www.boeing.com/features/2024/02/packing-starliner-cargo-is-a-balancing-act
https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1763219866390048982
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#474 by ddspaceman on 18 Mar, 2024 15:54
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Joshua Kutryk
@Astro_Kutryk
Spent last week working on the finer points of CFT launch prep: people movements, badges, facility tours. “It takes a village” to make a Canadian launch happen. Thanks @csa_asc @Boeing @NASAKennedy teams for getting us one step closer.
https://twitter.com/Astro_Kutryk/status/1769763549922967770
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#475 by king1999 on 21 Mar, 2024 13:19
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https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1769763373606932853
#Starliner fueling is now underway for the Crew Flight Test.
The propellant loading process will take about two weeks, after which final closeout activities will prep the spacecraft for its trek to the launch site at
@ulalaunch
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#476 by Robert_the_Doll on 23 Mar, 2024 00:08
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Press briefing videos that dropped today from NASA and Boeing officials, the astronauts, and finally the Boeing crew flight test training resource video:
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#477 by yg1968 on 23 Mar, 2024 02:21
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At 47 minutes of this video, Mark Nappi of Boeing said that they are interested in private missions later in the decade but that their immediate focus is on the NASA ISS missions:
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1771175188438114572 -
#478 by TJL on 23 Mar, 2024 16:11
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Is astronaut "Jonny" Kim the likely 4th crew member selected for Starliner 1 mission scheduled for 2025?
He is the only remaining Group-22 astronaut without a flight assignment. -
#479 by John_Marshall on 23 Mar, 2024 22:11
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Is astronaut "Jonny" Kim the likely 4th crew member selected for Starliner 1 mission scheduled for 2025?
He is the only remaining Group-22 astronaut without a flight assignment.
I highly doubt it. Kimiya Yui getting that seat seems "unofficially official," and it appears that Jonny Kim will be flying on Soyuz (and is perhaps backing up Don Pettit). See my post about half a dozen posts back on the Unassigned Astronaut thread.