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XPost: seattle.politics, or.politics

Shit! Shit for the used to be hometown Boeing!

from
https://futurism.com/the-byte/boeing-starliner-unable-fly-without-crew

IT TURNS OUT BOEING'S DERELICT STARLINER IS UNABLE TO FLY WITHOUT A CREW
ON BOARD
SO IT'S STUCK... ATTACHED TO THE SPACE STATION.
NASA
Rock and a Hard Place
Boeing's plagued Starliner is still stranded at the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived at the
station two months ago today, still don't have an official return date
as the space agency is evaluating its options.

And as Ars Technica reports, even having the doomed spacecraft return to
the surface without any astronauts on board — reportedly a key option
for NASA at this point — may not even be on the table.

According to Ars' sources, Starliner's current flight software isn't
able to autonomously undock from the space station and reenter through
the Earth's atmosphere — if confirmed, a confounding new ripple for what
has already turned out to be a disastrous crewed flight test for Boeing
and NASA.

Software Update
Problems with the capsule's control system thrusters have caused major
delays for Williams and Wilmore's return. NASA has been pondering
whether to send the pair back on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft,
which is scheduled to launch to the ISS later this year.

Even that mission, however, could soon be pushed back, slipping from
August 18 to September 24, according to Ars.

Why exactly Starliner's software is unable to perform autonomous docking procedures remains uncertain. After all, Boeing already demonstrated
such an ability during its uncrewed orbital flight test in May 2022.

To update the software now would be a "non-trivial" and "significant" undertaking that could take up to four weeks, according to Ars, which
could explain why SpaceX's upcoming crewed mission is being delayed.

"Starliner was designed as a spacecraft to have the crew in the
cockpit," NASA Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stich told
reporters on July 25. "The crew is integral to the spacecraft."

Did NASA buy itself time to update the software so that Starliner can
return autonomously? Given the latest report, it's not unlikely.

More on Starliner: Boeing's Stranded Starliner Has Failed So
Spectacularly That It Looks Like It'll Push Back SpaceX's Next Astronaut
Launch


A former ESA director and a former NASA administrator argue that we
should boost the space station's orbit as a gift to future generations.
LEAVE THE ISS ALONE
FORMER SPACE AGENCY LEADERS HORRIFIED BY PLAN TO DESTROY SPACE STATION,
SAY IT WOULD BE EASIER TO SAVE IT
JUL 16, 12:50 PM EDT
READ MORE
NASA said that the two stranded astronauts are still scheduled to come
home on board Starliner. But a Crew Dragon isn't out of the question.
IN STICHES
NASA SAYS IF NECESSARY, SPACEX COULD COME RESCUE THE ASTRONAUTS STRANDED
BY BOEING
JUL 11, 1:03 PM EDT
READ MORE
The crew of Boeing's Starliner is still indefinitely stuck on board the
ISS. They're "absolutely confident" they can get back home.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
STRANDED ASTRONAUTS "ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT" IN BOEING'S LEAKY STARLINER
JUL 10, 3:08 PM EDT
READ MORE

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