Will they finally get it up in space?
Boeing will launch its 1st Starliner astronaut mission today after delays. Here's how to watch it live online.

Space fans will be glued to their screens for the historic liftoff, which will send NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams toward the International Space Station (ISS) atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. Launch is currently scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT (1625 GMT) on Saturday, June 1. You can watch it here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA and follow the mission with our Boeing Starliner live updates.

And the launch got canned yet again.

After many year they finally made it, but not without a few problems.

Boeing Starliner’s crew is now on the space station after encountering new issues en route.

Cheers.

After many year they finally made it, but not without a few problems.

Boeing Starliner’s crew is now on the space station after encountering new issues en route.

Thanks for that...

And "by 'eck!", and after so many test flights, there is still some rather critical dubiousness:

... After a successful launch that was a decade in the making, Boeing’s Starliner mission experienced helium leaks and a temporary loss of thrusters during its journey to the space station, according to NASA.

During the final hour of their approach to the space station, Starliner’s crew began to manually pilot the spacecraft in a planned test of Starliner’s manual flight control capability. Five of the reaction control system thrusters failed on the service module, but the duo was able to get four of the thrusters firing again after conducting hot-fire tests...

... Starliner also faced another issue on its journey: helium leaks...

... two additional helium leaks had been detected on the vehicle. One helium leak had been discovered prior to launch and deemed acceptable. “Helium is used in spacecraft thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire..."

... As of Thursday morning, two of the three leaks have been corrected, according to a live NASA broadcast. A fourth minor leak was discovered later as well...

... “What we need to do over the next few days is take a look at the leak rate there and figure out what we go do relative to the rest of the mission,”...

Here's wishing for a safe flight!

Fly safe!!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The troubles continues.

Boeing Starliner's return to Earth postponed, with no new date set for astronauts' flight home.

NASA has postponed the return to Earth of Boeing's Starliner space capsule from the International Space Station with its first crew of astronauts to allow more time for a review of technical problems.

The pair's return was previously scheduled for June 26, having already been postponed once before from June 14.

NASA did not provide a new date, raising questions about when the mission's two astronauts will return.....

A rescue mission is on the cards now.

SpaceX may be forced to come to the rescue of two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station after their initial ride suffered troubling leaks.

SpaceX may be forced to come to the rescue of two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station after their Boeing Starliner suffered troubling helium leaks.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams soared into space on the Starliner on June 5 and were only supposed to remain at the ISS for nine days — but issues with their ship have left their return date still up in the air, and NASA is now furiously trying to help solve the problem.

The New York Post reports Boeing-rival SpaceX could potentially end up being tapped to ultimately bring them home aboard its Crew Dragon spaceship........

What an embarrassment for Boeing. The previous statement was that the delay was only to allow engineers to analyze the propulsion stage and occured faults in detail before it will be ejected, and burned out in the athmosphere during landing. The landing itself would not be endangered.

More than 'just' an 'embarrassment'...

How did the Boeing craft get all the way to carrying astronauts, real live people, whilst having failing critical (life essential) systems?

How were supposedly redundant systems permitted that suffered common mode component failures??...

(That is, if one system fails with a common component, they are ALL likely to fail...)


Fly safe?
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Wishful thinking, or just flogging a dead horse trying to avoid a SpaceX rescue?

Astronauts stuck in space 'confident' Boeing's Starliner capsule will bring them home.

Two US astronauts who should have returned to Earth weeks ago say they are confident that the problem-plagued Boeing Starliner spacecraft they rode up on can bring them back safely, despite significant uncertainties remaining.

"I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home, no problem," NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams said on Wednesday during the test crew's first news conference since docking to the International Space Station (ISS) more than a month ago.

Captain Williams and mission commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore blasted off on June 5 on what was Starliner's first crewed mission, intended as the final demonstration for Boeing to obtain routine flight certification from NASA.

The crew's stay was meant to last roughly a week, but the return was pushed back because of thruster malfunctions and helium leaks that came to light during the journey.

Engineering teams back on Earth need to run tests to better understand the issues and potentially modify how Starliner will fly down.

No return date has been set so far with the end of July the earliest option, NASA officials said.
'Failure is not an option'......

Hey, both Sunita Williams and Barry Willmore have already flown to the ISS twice on the Russian Soyuz. You know... these tin cans that sometimes develop mysterious holes in their outer walls. These negligible shortcomings of the Starliner are nothing compared to the true adventure: Russian space tech.

I'm guessing Boeing really is stuck behind the proverbial 8-ball and will have to abandon the broken space capsule but won't admit it.
Space-X Dragon to the rescue

NASA says it is “evaluating all options” for the safe return of Starliner crew
SpaceX is actively working on a plan to fly Starliner's crew home

The saga just gets worse.

Astronauts stuck in space given horrifying news: Starliner’s troubles continue.

What was intended as a week long trip to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first NASA astronauts flying with Boeing might now extend to eight months.

This potential delay arises from the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, being stranded in space for over 60 days due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

A decision on whether to continue with Boeing’s troubled Starliner — which experienced serious propulsion issues and helium leaks on its June mission to the orbital platform — is expected later this month, according to officials on a recent call with reporters.

NASA has acknowledged that the astronauts may need to be rescued by SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, although this spacecraft won’t be ready until February 2025......

Rumours are getting about that the Starliner capsule may have to stay attached until the ISS is decommissioned for safety reasons.

The Boeing Starliner isn't programed for automated reentry. There is some talk of reprograming it, so that it can return to Earth without a pilot.

Rumours are getting about that the Starliner capsule may have to stay attached until the ISS is decommissioned for safety reasons.

Hopefully that isn't the case in reality...

Starliner is docked at the most advantageous docking port on the ISS... A great inconvenience!

Hopefully, they have the option to at least passively jettison the Starliner and use the ISS (Russian) thrusters to move the ISS safely away before they meet the free-floating Starliner on the opposite side of the orbit!

... Or, Boeing could patch together the Autonomous or remote control software...


Fly safe?
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

It's now official, Butch and Sundance will have to wait for a lift home.

The two Boeing Starliner astronauts who have been stranded in space for 80 days will have to stay put for another six months, NASA officials have announced.

The two Boeing Starliner astronauts who have been stranded in space for 80 days will have to stay put for another six months, NASA officials announced Saturday.....

While Boeing may have been happy for them to return in the dodgy capsule NASA certainly isn't.

“commitment to safety,”

Hallelujah!

Very much the right decision.


Now, can Boeing properly and safely fix their bits?

Too much cost cutting haste into less speed and greater rework costs?...

Fly safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Until they get another rocket ready to launch, 8 billion people are stranded down there.

Thanks for that...

A beautiful perspective!


Fly safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

There are winners and losers as NASA plans to bring Butch and Sundance home earlier.

NASA Bumps 2 from SpaceX Flight to Make Room for Astronauts Stuck in Space.

NASA announced on Friday that it will bump two crew members from its upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The agency said the reason for the decision was to make room for the safe return of two astronauts currently stranded aboard the space station.

Astronauts Nick Hague from NASA and Aleksandr Gorbunov from Russia are now scheduled to launch in September aboard a SpaceX rocket bound for the ISS.

Their return trip, slated for February, will include NASA veterans Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore have been stationed at the ISS since June.

However, NASA determined that it would be too risky for them to return to earth in their Boeing Starliner capsule, which has been experiencing persistent issues, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.

As a result of this decision, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, who were originally scheduled to be part of the September mission, have been removed from the flight......

Focus Military on Facebook said the following about Boeing -vs- SpaceX:
* Why is Boeing, a seasoned aerospace giant, struggling with space exploration while SpaceX, a relative newcomer, is soaring to success?

* Boeing, with its rich history in aerospace, has been a leader for decades. However, this long legacy also brings challenges. Boeing is often tied to older, more rigid systems, and faces layers of bureaucracy that can slow down innovation.

* Their reliance on established practices and government contracts can make it harder to pivot quickly or adopt cutting-edge technologies.
On the flip side, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, had the advantage of starting with a clean slate. They embraced a culture of innovation from day one, focusing on agility, rapid prototyping, and learning from failures.

* Their ambitious goals—like reusable rockets—pushed them to constantly innovate. Plus, being privately funded, SpaceX had the flexibility to take risks that traditional companies like Boeing might shy away from.

* Moreover, SpaceX’s hands-on approach, with engineers working closely on the factory floor, has enabled them to iterate and improve their designs quickly. This lean approach, combined with a clear vision of lowering space travel costs, has allowed SpaceX to outpace more established players.

* In short, Boeing’s struggles reflect the challenges of adapting a legacy company to a rapidly changing industry, while SpaceX’s success is driven by a modern, innovative, and risk-tolerant approach. It’s a fascinating clash of the old guard versus the new wave in the race to the stars!