"NASA has decided that Butch and Suni will return with Crew-9 next February."@SenBillNelson and agency experts are discussing today's decision on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test. Watch live with us: x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
NASA Decides to Bring Starliner Spacecraft Back to Earth Without Crew Jessica TaveauAUG 24, 2024RELEASE24-108NASA HeadquartersNASA will return Boeing’s Starliner to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the spacecraft, the agency announced Saturday. The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew.Wilmore and Williams, who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been busy supporting station research, maintenance, and Starliner system testing and data analysis, among other activities.“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work.”Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September.NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters on June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans. The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence does not meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.“Decisions like this are never easy, but I want to commend our NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, transparent discussions, and focus on safety during the Crew Flight Test,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. “We’ve learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and its docked operations. We also will continue to gather more data about Starliner during the uncrewed return and improve the system for future flights to the space station.”Starliner is designed to operate autonomously and previously completed two uncrewed flights. NASA and Boeing will work together to adjust end-of-mission planning and Starliner’s systems to set up for the uncrewed return in the coming weeks. Starliner must return to Earth before the Crew-9 mission launches to ensure a docking port is available on station.“Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, this comes down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft.”NASA’s Commercial Crew Program requires spacecraft fly a crewed test flight to prove the system is ready for regular flights to and from the space station. Following Starliner’s return, the agency will review all mission-related data to inform what additional actions are required to meet NASA’s certification requirements.The agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, originally slated with four crew members, will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24. The agency will share more information about the Crew-9 complement when details are finalized. NASA and SpaceX currently are working several items before launch, including reconfiguring seats on the Crew-9 Dragon, and adjusting the manifest to carry additional cargo, personal effects, and Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams. In addition, NASA and SpaceX now will use new facilities at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to launch Crew-9, which provides increased operational flexibility around NASA’s planned Europa Clipper launch.The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth rotational mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which works with the American aerospace industry to meet the goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA’s Artemis campaign is underway at the Moon where the agency is preparing for future human exploration of Mars.Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew-end-
With Starliner returning without crew leaving Butch and Suni on ISS until Crew-9's February return, I asked about the special simplified undocking procedure.NASA's Steve Stitch notes it's the usual separation however will move away from ISS earlier than with crew and quicker.
Overviewing today's announcement from NASA that Butch and Suni will return via SpaceX's Dragon, and Boeing's Starliner CFT vehicle will return uncrewed.By Justin Davenport (@Bubbinski).
Boeing Starliner returning without crew – Butch and Suni to fly SpaceXwritten by Justin Davenport August 24, 2024 The eventful Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission crewed by astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams has reached a point where a decision has now been made to return the astronauts home on Crew Dragon Freedom. This comes after the CFT mission stretched from the initial “soft” planning for eight days to spending two and a half months aboard the International Space Station, and the CFT crew will now stay in orbit for eight months.
SpaceX stands ready to support @NASA however we can
NASA will return @BoeingSpace's #Starliner to Earth without @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the spacecraft.The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew.Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX #Crew9 mission.Starliner is expected to depart from the @Space_Station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September.More: go.nasa.gov/3YYesh3
Video of NASA Administrator Nelson’s announcement:[Twitter link] ...
NASA and Boeing have concluded their Delta-Flight Test Readiness Review, polling “go” to proceed with undocking of the uncrewed #Starliner spacecraft no earlier than 6:04pm ET Sept. 6 from @Space_Station, pending weather and operational readiness.More:
NASA, Boeing Teams “Go” for Starliner Uncrewed ReturnNASA and Boeing concluded a detailed Delta-Flight Test Readiness Review on Thursday, polling “go” to proceed with undocking of the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 6, from the International Space Station, pending weather and operational readiness.After undocking, Starliner will take about six hours to reach the landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The spacecraft will touch down about 12:03 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, descending under parachutes and with inflated airbags to cushion the impact. Recovery teams at the landing zone will safe and prepare the spacecraft for a return to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Following NASA’s decision on Aug. 24 to return the Starliner spacecraft uncrewed, mission managers and flight controllers updated elements of the Starliner systems with specific information for this mission that will allow the spacecraft to execute the return. The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft will perform a fully autonomous return with flight controllers at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and at Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida. Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States. NASA will host a media briefing to discuss more details about return operations, and the agency will share more on the briefing schedule and return coverage.Starliner has previously completed a successful uncrewed entry and landing during two orbital flight tests. During one of the flight tests, the spacecraft also proved it could autonomously undock with the station safely.As part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew aboard Starliner to the station in June. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the orbiting complex as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025, when they’ll return with the agency’s Crew-9 mission.Author Elyna Niles-CarnesPosted on August 29, 2024Categories Boeing, Boeing Crew Flight Test, Commercial Crew, Commercial Crew Program, International Space StationTags Boeing Starliner, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Undocking, White Sands Space Harbor
NASA Sets Coverage for Starliner News Conference, Return to EarthTiernan P. DoyleAUG 30, 2024MEDIA ADVISORYM24-121NASA HeadquartersNASA will provide live coverage of the upcoming activities for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft departure from the International Space Station and return to Earth. The uncrewed spacecraft will depart from the orbiting laboratory for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 6, to begin the journey home, weather conditions permitting. NASA and Boeing are targeting approximately 12:03 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, for the landing and conclusion of the flight test.NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.Ahead of Starliner’s return, NASA will host a pre-departure news conference at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Program managers and a flight director will participate.To attend the pre-departure news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, at [email protected] or 281-483-5111. To join the pre-departure news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA newsroom no later than two hours prior to the start of the call.NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters. For the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on Aug. 24 that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):Wednesday, Sept. 412 p.m. – Starliner pre-departure news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.Friday, Sept. 65:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.6:04 p.m. – Undocking10:50 p.m. – Coverage resumes for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.Saturday, Sept. 712:03 a.m. – Targeted landing1:30 a.m. – Post-landing news conference with the following participants:Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in WashingtonSteve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center in FloridaDana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA JohnsonJohn Shannon, vice president, Boeing Exploration SystemsMark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew ProgramCoverage of the post-landing news conference will stream live on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.To attend the post-landing news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 12 p.m., Sept. 6. To join the post-landing news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than one hour prior to the start of the event.See full mission coverage, NASA’s commercial crew blog, and more information about the mission at:https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew-end-
The American flag pictured inside the window of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft at the International Space Station.Credit: NASA
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010441Z SEP 24HYDROPAC 2878/24(GEN).EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.DNC 06, DNC 13.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 070322Z TO 070422Z, ALTERNATE 080413Z TO 080513Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 21-16.00N 122-22.00W, 18-25.00N 118-33.00W, 05-04.00S 136-09.00W, 02-22.00S 139-54.00W. B. 28-51.00N 132-27.00W, 25-53.00N 128-40.00W, 03-35.00N 147-09.00W, 06-13.00N 150-45.00W.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 080613Z SEP 24.
Ahead of Starliner’s return, NASA will host a pre-departure news conference at 12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Participants include: Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space CenterDana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA Johnson Space CenterAnthony Vareha, flight director, International Space StationNASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters. For the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on Aug. 24 that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
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