NASA Mulls Next Steps for Boeing's Starliner Astronaut Taxi After Shortened Test Flight

[Admin]

It'll be a little while before we know if the next flight of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule will carry astronauts.

NASA Mulls Next Steps for Boeing's Starliner Astronaut Taxi After Shortened Test Flight : Read more

 

[Ryan F. Mercer]

You can call it a failed flight or an incomplete test, but a "shortened flight" is not a thing. It's an excuse.

 

[Admiral Lagrange]

I think it's a great thing to know the Starliner can bring our people back home if they don't reach their destination, BUT !!! I believe one of the things the Starliner was suppose to demonstrate was "autonomous docking" ? It was a failed flight test and should be redone. I think that might create another problem though; If they do another unmanned flight, will they have enough Russian engines to do an actual mission flight ?

 

[Shilka]

That portion of the test may be incomplete, but, considering all that was accomplished for a first launch - that was far from a failure! As far as engines go, it's an Atlas V, and it has a decent schedule this year; engines are available. Given the importance of this, they could easily move an engine 'up in the queue' from satellite insertion to another Starliner test. Remember, spacex had to build another Crew Dragon, after their flight bird exploded (now, THAT was a failure).

 

[vadertime]

I think "shortened test flight" is a gross embellishment of a failed trial run of Boeing's Space Taxi. It failed to reach the proper orbit. How is this going to work if we have actual astronauts on board and the spacecraft fails to achieve the proper orbit in order to dock with the ISS? They just come back to Earth and we write it off as a multi-million dollar joyride at the taxpayer's expense? This was a complete and utter failure and let's be honest about it and it cost a lot of money.

 

[Merlin2721]

In light of the problems with the 737 Max, why would NASA consider allowing them to continue without demonstrating total success? Isn't one disastrous bypassing of sound testing procedure more than enough???

 

[EastTNBill]

Hum, let's see; Boeing gets four billion, SpaceX get two and a half. SpaceX is about to complete an all up test including an in-flight abort and has already demo'd autonomous docking. Boeing has demo'd their abort rocket, but wants NASA to accept a computer simulation of an inflight abort. Boeing screwed up their demo flight due to bad software but wants NASA to OK a crewed flight. What's wrong with this picture.

It'll be a little while before we know if the next flight of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule will carry astronauts.

NASA Mulls Next Steps for Boeing's Starliner Astronaut Taxi After Shortened Test Flight : Read more

 

[Admiral Lagrange]

As far as engines go, it's an Atlas V, and it has a decent schedule this year; engines are available

 

[Admiral Lagrange]

The Atlas V requires 3 RD-180 engines.

Per The Moscow Times "“We signed a contract where we will supply six more RD-180 engines to our partners in 2020,” the head of Russia’s Energomash enginemaker, Igor Arbuzov, told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency "

Another autonomous test flight, the manned test flight 2, mission flight 1, requires 9 RD-180 Engines.

Also looks like the next X-37 flight goes to SpaceX too.

 

[GeoXXX]

You can call it a failed flight or an incomplete test, but a "shortened flight" is not a thing. It's an excuse.

It’s not an excuse, it’s an accurate description(shortened flights are definitely a “thing” btw).

 

[GeoXXX]

That portion of the test may be incomplete, but, considering all that was accomplished for a first launch - that was far from a failure! As far as engines go, it's an Atlas V, and it has a decent schedule this year; engines are available. Given the importance of this, they could easily move an engine 'up in the queue' from satellite insertion to another Starliner test. Remember, spacex had to build another Crew Dragon, after their flight bird exploded (now, THAT was a failure).

Uh-oh you are going to have all the Space-X fanboys here fainting from anger!