Boeing's Starliner can stay in space beyond 45-day limit, NASA says

[Admin]

Boeing's Starliner is rated to stay in space for 45 days on its historic first astronaut mission, but that's going to be extended soon. Ground testing on its thrusters will start as soon as July 2.

Boeing's Starliner can stay in space beyond 45-day limit, NASA says : Read more

 

[newtons_laws]

Quote:
NASA says Starliner needs to stay docked for more than 45 days, which was the initial outside limit for this mission. The good news is the spacecraft looks good to go for perhaps double that amount of time — or more.

"We talked about a 45-day limit, limited by the crew module batteries on Starliner, and we're in the process of updating that limit," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, told reporters during the Friday teleconference.

"We've been looking at those batteries and their performance on orbit. They're getting recharged by station, and that risk hasn't really changed. So the risk for the next 45 days is essentially the same as the first 45 days," he said.

So if they're looking at doubling the 45 day stay duration on the ISS up to 90 days or longer, as compared to the originally planned approx 10 day stay then Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are definitely going to have to borrow some more clothing from their ISS colleagues!

 

[fj.torres]

45 more days will leave the Starliner docked when CREW 9 arrives in august. And plenty of time to add Dragon seats to adjust the crew 8 Dragon to bring down six.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I am wondering if the food supply up there is being stretched, with 2 more mouths to feed for such an extended period. The normal crew is 7, so adding the 2 Boeing CFT crew increased the mouths to feed by 2/7 = 29%, It seems like that is a significant difference, especially if it is going to persist for 90 days.

 

[Classical Motion]

NASA has room service.

 

[em1234]

45 more days will leave the Starliner docked when CREW 9 arrives in august. And plenty of time to add Dragon seats to adjust the crew 8 Dragon to bring down six.

Crew-9 cannot be launched unless Starliner or Crew-8 departs. The docking ports are being occupied by them.

 

[Classical Motion]

So they run of plugs. Happens to me all the time. Were they denied all Starliner flight or was it just for de-orbit? Maybe Starliner could be temporarily parked during transfer. Rack up a little Starliner flight time.