Nothing says 'We believe in you' like NASA switching two 'nauts off Boeing's Starliner onto SpaceX's Crew Dragon
- Reference: 1633627810
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/10/07/nasa_commercial_crew_changes/
- Source link:
The affected 'nauts are Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, who were slated for the Crew Flight Test and Starliner-1 missions respectively. Both were selected by NASA in 2013, after the final flight of the Space Shuttle programme, and have been waiting for their trip to space ever since.
Less than a year ago Boeing congratulated Mann on her addition to NASA's Artemis team. Had things gone to plan she would have made her first spaceflight aboard the Starliner.
We’re so excited for [3]#Starliner crew member [4]@AstroDuke , just named to the [5]#Artemis astronaut team. We ❤️ you to the Moon and back. [6]pic.twitter.com/6ScSdGh1kY — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) [7]December 9, 2020
A year (or less) is, however, is long time in spaceflight and after repeated setbacks for the Starliner, it appears NASA has pulled the plug and switched Mann and Cassada to the Crew Dragon. Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore, Mike Fincke, and Suni Williams remain attached to the project for the time being, and "will continue to provide experience for Boeing," according to the US space agency.
"NASA decided it was important to make these reassignments to allow Boeing time to complete the development of Starliner," said the agency, "while continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for the future needs of the agency’s missions."
[8]Dozy ISS cosmonauts woken by smoke alarm on eve of 5-hour spacewalk
[9]NASA postpones spacewalk as it would be too much of a pain in the neck for astronaut
[10]Starliner takes off ... back to the factory and not space
[11]Engineers work to open Boeing Starliner's valves as schedule pressures mount
Mann and Cassada are the latest to fall victim to what seems to be the Curse of the Calamity Capsule. Three-time Space Shuttle flyer [12]Christoper Ferguson bowed out of his role as commander of the first crewed Starliner mission in 2020. This is a move which, in retrospect, seems to have been a canny one.
Both Mann and Cassada will now fly on Crew-5, in commander and pilot roles respectively. The SpaceX mission is expected to launch in the latter part of 2022, giving a clue into just how much of a Starliner delay could be on the cards. The duo, along with additional crew members, will undertake a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting outpost.
[13]
Fincke and Wilmore remain assigned to the Starliner test flight, although that will not launch before a repeat of the uncrewed demonstration mission that ended prematurely as a result of some [14]distinctly shoddy validation and quality assurance practices . The repeat is to show the problems have been fixed, although has itself suffered from the Curse of the Calamity Capsule; the latest being a [15]rollback from the launchpad and return to the factory due to sticking valves.
[16]
Once a contender for being the first to fly crew to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Crew programme, Boeing has slipped to a very definite second behind SpaceX. Elon Musk's rocketeers have sent 10 astronauts to the ISS and another four on a joyride around the Earth.
Boeing hasn't. ®
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[1] https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/10/06/nasa-announces-astronaut-changes-for-upcoming-commercial-crew-missions/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/10/more_software_errors_beset_boeings_calamity_capsule/
[3] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Starliner?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4] https://twitter.com/AstroDuke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6] https://t.co/6ScSdGh1kY
[7] https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1336788983687352320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/09/iss_smoke_alarm/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/25/nasa_spacewalk_injury/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/13/boeing_starliner_delay/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/10/cst_100_starliner_valves/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/09/boeing_starliner_loses_commander/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YV9uKDChwsfOkwq37ajFgAAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/08/nasa_boeing_starliner/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/13/boeing_starliner_delay/
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YV9uKDChwsfOkwq37ajFgAAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I believe this is the reason the commander bowed out.
He refused to put his life on the line flying this shoddy craft into an airless environment.
But "un-named crewman" and "red-shirt" are both on the list for the next flight
As it's Boeing, I doubt it was the flight he was worried about.
More likely the sudden stop at the end of it.
His daughter had moved her wedding once to avoid clashing with the originally planned flight. When the flight was delayed to a date where it would once more clash with the re-arranged wedding he chose family over flight.
Given Boeings schedule so far it would probably have clashed with his grand-daughter's wedding
When an astronaut says "no thanks" to a space flight...
Three-time Space Shuttle flyer Christoper Ferguson bowed out of his role as commander of the first crewed Starliner mission in 2020. This is a move which, in retrospect, seems to have been a canny one.
That's putting it mildly. From everything I've read, NASA's astronauts are a pretty eager and ambitious group and wouldn't be discouraged from a space flight by something trivial like the risk of dying. However, the risk of sitting on your ass doing nothing during years of delays while other people fly on other platforms — that's something to be avoided at all costs.
It's a Boeing. They ain't going.
"Curse of the Calamity Capsule" is going on a plaque, along with "The one-ton Mars-invading laser-toting nuclear-powered space truck Curiosity"
There's a reason I get my space news from El Reg! (and yes, I 3D printed that on a plaque for my LEGO Curiosity model display)
Anyway, not only did the capsule have to give up the launch due to sticking valves, it had to make way for the Crew Dragon, and is delayed while Crew Dragon occupies its primary docking port. THAT has gotta sting. "Git outta the way, kiddo, I got WORK to do!"
Now there are a couple of spare seats I'm sure a couple of the Boeing board or C-suite will want to muscle in. After Branson et al put themselves in the fornt of their queues. RHIP - Rand Has Its Privileges. Surely they're not worried about the H.
That would help boost confidence in their product - if they can find a driver.
Who would have thought a mega-corp with decades of experience engineering safety-critical systems would have been beaten by an upstart "move fast and break things" startup?
At this rate NASA can probably start thinking of invoking non-delivery clauses.
It is a commercial crew contract, after all.
Gus Grissom famously hung a lemon inside what became Apollo 1. One dreads to think how the Boeing is regarded by the crews by comparison.
If any of the remaining crew set to launch on that capsule had any sense they'd pull out. I wouldn't go up in it. I suspect anyone who has been following Boeing showering themselves in glory with their aircraft 'accidents', wouldn't either.