Stories about life and business about NASA’s orbiting lab.
NASA officials decided that the two astronauts who piloted the Boeing Starliner on a test flight to the ISS will return on a SpaceX crew Dragon. Their eight-day mission will wind up lasting eight months.
“Reasonable people could have different views on which path we should take.”
After over 25 years orbiting Earth, performing thousands of scientific experiments and hosting over 270 astronauts, the ISS is scheduled to be escorted out of orbit as early as 2030.
The astronauts who headed to the ISS aboard Starliner over a month ago finally have a hopeful return-by date to look forward to.
Congress marked up a NASA 2024 Reauthorization Bill Addressing a Post-ISS Gap.
“We understand these issues for a safe return. We don’t understand them enough to fix them permanently.”
The extended stay merited an “agency-level” review of Starliner’s departure “to document the agency’s formal acceptance of proceeding as planned.”
Even with the leak, there should be enough helium left to allow Starliner to undock and deorbit.
ValveTech CEO Erin Faville publicly urged NASA to cancel the launch of Boeing’s crewed Starliner “due to the risk of a disaster.”
“I have seen a tremendous change in Boeing culture since the first orbital flight test,” NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, said.
The US’ highest scientific laboratory is changing with the times.
This is just the sixth time in the last two years that two non-maneuverable space objects have come so close.
