11/16/2023 0 Comments Space shuttle endeavour iss audioSo while Boeing’s future Starliner launch remains a question mark, SpaceX continues its duties as the sole U.S.-based transportation of NASA astronauts, which it has been doing on a regular basis since the May 2020 test flight Demo-2 took up Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley followed by regular rotation missions about every six months.Ĭrew-7 is the seventh such flight for its Crew Dragon, this one aiming for liftoff no earlier than Aug. So for now NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will have to bide their time before their ride is declared safe and ready for flight. In tandem, teams have already begun to remove a lot of the tape that was deemed a fire risk, but it’s a big job as it was used in a lot of places to protect wire bundles in the spacecraft. He said the parachute solution is well underway with teams having found a replacement for the joint that was identified as a risk, and the new joint is undergoing testing now with a plan in the works to get the new joints into the existing Starliner parachute system. “When we found the problems with the parachute joint and the … flammable tape back in June, we took a step back and decided to pause really everything that we’re doing with the vehicle,” said NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich on Tuesday during a press conference for the upcoming SpaceX Crew-7 mission. The most recent delay came after teams halted plans for a July launch with NASA astronauts on board after finding issues with joints used in the spacecraft’s parachute system as well as identifying flammable tape used throughout the hardware that has to be replaced. NASA, Boeing call off Starliner launch plans after parachute, flammable tape issues While the capsule did make it safely back to Earth, NASA dubbed the mission a “high visibility close call” that forced a major overhaul of the program including hardware, software and management practices from both Boeing and NASA oversight. The program has been mired in extended delays since 2019 when its first uncrewed test flight was not able of rendezvous with the ISS. “We’re confident in that team and committed to getting it right.” We prioritize safety, and we’re taking whatever time is required,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun during the 2nd quarter earnings call on Tuesday. “On Starliner we’re in lockstep with our customer. The continued delays have meant a loss of more than $1.1 billion to Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program to date including another $257 million reported in the company’s 2nd quarter earning report this week, As SpaceX gears up for its next crewed mission to the International Space Station, NASA and Boeing have taken a “step back” from plotting out just when its beleaguered CST-100 Starliner will attempt its first ever crewed launch.
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