Boeing Starliner
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From: Peripatetic
During tests of the Starliner crew module's 12 RCS thrusters, before the re-entry burn, one of them failed.
So they have at least one failed thruster to examine and to confirm the cause.
(The other failed thrusters all being on the service module which was discarded and burnt up during re-entry)
So they have at least one failed thruster to examine and to confirm the cause.
(The other failed thrusters all being on the service module which was discarded and burnt up during re-entry)
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In one way (without the weight of two people), it landed perfectly. Hats off to the Chute team 
It's a shame that - from my understanding - the main, or most, or if any, of the suspect thrusters are meant to be jettisoned (different module?), before re-entry.
As there was no human risk, I wonder if it would have been possible to land it with all the 'suspect' thrusters on board?
Would have been invaluable information to Boeing and to NASA.
ORAC, as per comment above, are you saying that only one thruster got back, as in the '12' should have got back?
It's a shame that - from my understanding - the main, or most, or if any, of the suspect thrusters are meant to be jettisoned (different module?), before re-entry.
As there was no human risk, I wonder if it would have been possible to land it with all the 'suspect' thrusters on board?
Would have been invaluable information to Boeing and to NASA.
ORAC, as per comment above, are you saying that only one thruster got back, as in the '12' should have got back?
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From: Peripatetic
The majority of the failed thrusters were on the service module which was discarded before re-entry and burns up, meaning none could be recovered.
The command module thrusters are only used after the service module has been discarded in order to align and control the capsule during re-entry.
There are 12 of these thrusters which were tested prior to re-entry and one failed. That’s not a major problem, they are used in pairs and the remaining 10 were more than adequate for re-entry.
But it does mean they have one failed thruster available for strip down and examination, which should allow them to confirm the failure mode which, so far, has been based on ground tests and simulations.
The command module thrusters are only used after the service module has been discarded in order to align and control the capsule during re-entry.
There are 12 of these thrusters which were tested prior to re-entry and one failed. That’s not a major problem, they are used in pairs and the remaining 10 were more than adequate for re-entry.
But it does mean they have one failed thruster available for strip down and examination, which should allow them to confirm the failure mode which, so far, has been based on ground tests and simulations.
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Short answer, no.
The bad thrusters were on the Service Module.
The service module has to be jettisoned to expose the heat shield. If the SM had been left in place it would have begun to burn up during reentry and probably exploded causing further damage and probable loss of the vehicle.
The bad thrusters were on the Service Module.
The service module has to be jettisoned to expose the heat shield. If the SM had been left in place it would have begun to burn up during reentry and probably exploded causing further damage and probable loss of the vehicle.
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From: Peripatetic
Crew ride home prepping for launch with 2 empty seats…
Falcon 9 B1085-2 for the Crew 9 mission is rolling at KSC ahead of launching two humans to the ISS. It will be launching from SLC-40, as SpaceX utilizes that pad's upgrades for Crew Dragon.
Falcon 9 B1085-2 for the Crew 9 mission is rolling at KSC ahead of launching two humans to the ISS. It will be launching from SLC-40, as SpaceX utilizes that pad's upgrades for Crew Dragon.
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From: Peripatetic
That’s two more of their launch slots gone - only around 3. Must be a toss up if they pull out rather than spend another few $100M with no prospect of a return on their investment/estment.
NEWS: NASA will no longer use Boeing's Starliner for two crew rotation missions next year, and will instead use @SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for the missions to the International Space Station.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-further-d...rliner-flight/
NASA further delays first operational Starliner flight
NEWS: NASA will no longer use Boeing's Starliner for two crew rotation missions next year, and will instead use @SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for the missions to the International Space Station.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-further-d...rliner-flight/
NASA further delays first operational Starliner flight
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From: Peripatetic
Any one want to make a bet?
SUNDAY NEWS: @Boeing’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg says he's looking at “doing less and doing it better,” wanting to focus resources on commercial aircraft and defense divisions — He expects to decide which units are to be divested by year-end.
→ Starliner program has been marred by years of glitches with more than $1.8 billion in cost overruns and delays despite NASA awarding Boeing nearly twice as much funding as it did to @SpaceX in 2014 — Boeing is still trying to resolve issues experienced during Starliner's test flight in the hope of eventually getting it certified for regular flights.
Meanwhile, SpaceX Dragon spacecraft made 43 visits to the ISS since 2019, carrying both crew and cargo for NASA — The agency recently even hired SpaceX to rescue two Americans stuck at the space station, after Starliner’s problems forced the agency to order the vehicle to return to Earth empty.
→ Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been trying to sell their United Launch Alliance (ULA) joint venture over the past year.
In the last decade, Boeing's ULA has fallen behind major technological leaps made by SpaceX, which has slashed the cost of space travel by reusing boosters and building a majority of components in-house.
→ Boeing’s space portfolio also includes a lucrative contract for NASA’s SLS moon rocket, though it’s expected to cost about $2 billion per launch while SpaceX is working on a much cheaper alternative.
SpaceX has recently showcased its revolutionary Raptor 3 engine and, two weeks ago, successfully achieved all the mission goals set forth for Starship Flight 5, including the unprecedented engineering feat of a mid-air capture of its Super Heavy Booster with Mechazilla — and Starship Flight 6 is said to happen very soon.
→ Boeing may decide to keep some products like spy satellites and the clandestine X-37B space plane.
“Boeing was supposed to be the sure bet. If they walk away, it’s a sad thing for America, for competition and for access to space.” said Chad Anderson, Managing Partner of Space Capital
→ Starliner program has been marred by years of glitches with more than $1.8 billion in cost overruns and delays despite NASA awarding Boeing nearly twice as much funding as it did to @SpaceX in 2014 — Boeing is still trying to resolve issues experienced during Starliner's test flight in the hope of eventually getting it certified for regular flights.
Meanwhile, SpaceX Dragon spacecraft made 43 visits to the ISS since 2019, carrying both crew and cargo for NASA — The agency recently even hired SpaceX to rescue two Americans stuck at the space station, after Starliner’s problems forced the agency to order the vehicle to return to Earth empty.
→ Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been trying to sell their United Launch Alliance (ULA) joint venture over the past year.
In the last decade, Boeing's ULA has fallen behind major technological leaps made by SpaceX, which has slashed the cost of space travel by reusing boosters and building a majority of components in-house.
→ Boeing’s space portfolio also includes a lucrative contract for NASA’s SLS moon rocket, though it’s expected to cost about $2 billion per launch while SpaceX is working on a much cheaper alternative.
SpaceX has recently showcased its revolutionary Raptor 3 engine and, two weeks ago, successfully achieved all the mission goals set forth for Starship Flight 5, including the unprecedented engineering feat of a mid-air capture of its Super Heavy Booster with Mechazilla — and Starship Flight 6 is said to happen very soon.
→ Boeing may decide to keep some products like spy satellites and the clandestine X-37B space plane.
“Boeing was supposed to be the sure bet. If they walk away, it’s a sad thing for America, for competition and for access to space.” said Chad Anderson, Managing Partner of Space Capital
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From: troposphere
Things space-wise are not going so well for Boeing.
A Boeing-built geostationary satellite, Intelsat 33e, which had been in use for 8 years failed recently.
It's been discovered that it has broken up into many pieces which is unusual for a geostationary
telecommunications satellite. They normally have a service life of 15 years.
https://spacenews.com/exoanalytic-ob...t-33e-breakup/
A Boeing-built geostationary satellite, Intelsat 33e, which had been in use for 8 years failed recently.
It's been discovered that it has broken up into many pieces which is unusual for a geostationary
telecommunications satellite. They normally have a service life of 15 years.
Intelsat is still investigating what caused the in-orbit breakup of Intelsat 33e, the second in a series of four EpicNG (next-generation) high throughput satellites Boeing built for the operator.
The first in this series, Intelsat-29e, was declared a total loss in 2019 after three years in orbit.
The first in this series, Intelsat-29e, was declared a total loss in 2019 after three years in orbit.
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From: Peripatetic
What is happening with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft?
Among the options NASA and Boeing are considering: A Starliner cargo flight.
Among the options NASA and Boeing are considering: A Starliner cargo flight.
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Another little nugget buried in there: "Boeing has told NASA it will no longer bid on fixed-price space contracts in the future."
Personally, I think it's flown it's last trip.
Personally, I think it's flown it's last trip.
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From: Peripatetic
https://spacenews.com/boeing-reports...llars-in-2024/
Boeing reports Starliner losses of more than half a billion dollars in 2024
WASHINGTON — Boeing took more than a half-billion dollars in charges on its CST-100 Starliner program in 2024, bringing its cumulative losses on the commercial crew vehicle to just over $2 billion.
In the company’s 10-K annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Feb. 3, Boeing said it took $523 million in charges on Starliner in 2024. The company blamed the losses on “schedule delays and higher testing and certification costs as well as higher costs for post certification missions.”
The company had reported a $125 million charge in the second quarter and a $250 million charge in the third quarter. The company warned Jan. 23 it would take an additional loss in the fourth quarter but did not disclose a figure when it released its financial results five days later. The annual loss implies a $148 million loss in the fourth quarter.
The $523 million in charges is the most Boeing has recorded in a single year on Starliner, exceeding $489 million it reported in 2019. The company’s cumulative charges on Starliner are now just over $2 billion. “Risk remains that we may record additional losses in future periods,” the company stated in the 10-K filing.
Boeing executives did not address Starliner in a Jan. 28 earnings call. Neither the company nor NASA have publicly discussed when Starliner might fly again, and whether it would be a crewed or uncrewed test flight versus an operational mission.
At a Jan. 30 meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, committee members said they had been brief by NASA about the investigation into the problems Starliner experienced during the Crew Flight Test mission. While NASA reported “significant progress” on some issues, the thruster problems that eventually led NASA to bring the spacecraft back uncrewed remain unresolved.
“The details shared by NASA gave us confidence that they are focusing on the right core issues and the related path to safely flying Starliner,” Paul Hill, a member of the panel, said at the briefing, but offered no details on when Starliner might fly again.
Boeing reports Starliner losses of more than half a billion dollars in 2024
WASHINGTON — Boeing took more than a half-billion dollars in charges on its CST-100 Starliner program in 2024, bringing its cumulative losses on the commercial crew vehicle to just over $2 billion.
In the company’s 10-K annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Feb. 3, Boeing said it took $523 million in charges on Starliner in 2024. The company blamed the losses on “schedule delays and higher testing and certification costs as well as higher costs for post certification missions.”
The company had reported a $125 million charge in the second quarter and a $250 million charge in the third quarter. The company warned Jan. 23 it would take an additional loss in the fourth quarter but did not disclose a figure when it released its financial results five days later. The annual loss implies a $148 million loss in the fourth quarter.
The $523 million in charges is the most Boeing has recorded in a single year on Starliner, exceeding $489 million it reported in 2019. The company’s cumulative charges on Starliner are now just over $2 billion. “Risk remains that we may record additional losses in future periods,” the company stated in the 10-K filing.
Boeing executives did not address Starliner in a Jan. 28 earnings call. Neither the company nor NASA have publicly discussed when Starliner might fly again, and whether it would be a crewed or uncrewed test flight versus an operational mission.
At a Jan. 30 meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, committee members said they had been brief by NASA about the investigation into the problems Starliner experienced during the Crew Flight Test mission. While NASA reported “significant progress” on some issues, the thruster problems that eventually led NASA to bring the spacecraft back uncrewed remain unresolved.
“The details shared by NASA gave us confidence that they are focusing on the right core issues and the related path to safely flying Starliner,” Paul Hill, a member of the panel, said at the briefing, but offered no details on when Starliner might fly again.
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From: Peripatetic
So, you probably won't believe how desperate Starliner's flight to the space station got last summer ...
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...usters-failed/
