Boeing vs SpaceX
- Thread starter Sneakers
- Start date
It was being reported today that NASA has stopped updating the Starliner crew on a return date.
I think it's time for Elon to send up a Dragon capsule to get them.
I think it's time for Elon to send up a Dragon capsule to get them.
Next step, stop taking their calls, followed by deleting their entries in Payroll....
Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
NASA has been on again / off again with using the Dragon, which is already docked at the ISS, for a rescue mission. J Christina came up with a recovery plan that I thought was superb. Fix the Starliner and get it return-ready. Launch it minus the crew, on auto-pilot. Return the crew in the Dragon. If the Starliner fails, the crew is still safe.
At one point, I thought NASA had approved a Dragon rescue, but guess that fell thru. Boeing's feelings might get hurt.
Oh, I hadn't heard that Dragon was already there. Truthfully, I had forgotten all about the crew still being stranded there. I agree with the Christina plan as well.
Sounds like Boeing needs to send their Howard Wolowitz up there to fix it.
Is Dragon the crew or supply version?
Edit: I see it's the crew version.
Edit: I see it's the crew version.
Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
Not sure. I think it's last mission was resupply, but everything I read says it can handle 7 passengers. So, not sure how it's configured.
glhs837
Power with Control
It carries four people a supplies both in the cabin and in the "trunk", over 13,000lbs in fact. Latest is that NASA and SpaceX have spent a little time noodling over the next scheduled Crew Dragon only coming up with two crew. and brining Dragon compatible suits sized for the Starliner crew with it.
Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
So, on again, off again. Starliner cancelled. Space-X rescue mission. No, Starliner will be used, Space-X on hold. and over and over. NASA can't make up their minds. I feel for the two astronauts caught in the middle. And now Space-X has had their schedule delayed, for all things, environmental concerns. Noise, and that tower cooling water is being allowed to runoff into a nearby stream and might contain contaminants such as mercury.
In other related news, China launched a rocket with StarLink-equiv satellites, and it blew up. They tried again, and it blew up. The huge problem here is that they are launching into a higher altitude than StarLink or the ISS. The debris field from the two explosions had put hundreds of pieces of debris into orbits above the ISS with no way to remove them. Space-X launches into an altitude lower than the existing StarLink sats or ISS, so if there is a problem, it all falls back to earth under gravity and burns up. Currently, the StarLink sats have to make collision avoidance corrections for debris as many as 140 times a day per sat. As debris from the Chinese crap starts to fall lower, an even bigger mess. Scientists are saying if more debris accumulates, you can reach a cascading condition where it's not "if" there is a collision, but an ever increasing number of collisions making Low Earth Orbit unusable, and travel thru the field next to impossible to leave earth. And China is not as of yet even acknowledging the problems they created.
In other related news, China launched a rocket with StarLink-equiv satellites, and it blew up. They tried again, and it blew up. The huge problem here is that they are launching into a higher altitude than StarLink or the ISS. The debris field from the two explosions had put hundreds of pieces of debris into orbits above the ISS with no way to remove them. Space-X launches into an altitude lower than the existing StarLink sats or ISS, so if there is a problem, it all falls back to earth under gravity and burns up. Currently, the StarLink sats have to make collision avoidance corrections for debris as many as 140 times a day per sat. As debris from the Chinese crap starts to fall lower, an even bigger mess. Scientists are saying if more debris accumulates, you can reach a cascading condition where it's not "if" there is a collision, but an ever increasing number of collisions making Low Earth Orbit unusable, and travel thru the field next to impossible to leave earth. And China is not as of yet even acknowledging the problems they created.
glhs837
Power with Control
Well, so the latest Starliner update is really no update. "We'll make a decision next week. "
Now, about the Starship hullabaloo. The article was a piece of crap written by a lady with a history. At no point was the deluge system used when not approved. SpaceX put out a good rebuttal. Part of which was that the report that the reported cited was sloppily written. The main issue was that when they transcribed the values, they misplaced some decimals. The mercury values measured as given in the data tables were less than the testing used could detect, well below any allowable value if not actually zero.
But in the written body, the decimal was loved to the left, making it look like there was measurable mercury. Which makes no sense since its potable drinking water that is dispensed with gas pressure. The rocket burns pure methane and oxygen, which cannot produce mercury.
So its not even been delayed. They have been working updates to tower one to get it ready for the first catch attempt in a few weeks, and moving fast on building tower two. Last of seven segments rolled out to the pad last night.
Kinnakeet
Well-Known Member
Hope she doesn't get pregnant that's a long time without some boom boom
glhs837
Power with Control
Oh it will come down. Boeing is most likely sacrificing virgins, or maybe whistleblower, to make sure this things parachute and thruster system, including the retros that slow it down prior to ground impact all work.
If it doesnt work, that whole program is cancelled.