Freighter bound for the ISS suffers engine abort
- Reference: 1722875864
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/08/05/freighter_bound_for_iss_engine_abort/
- Source link:
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1502 UTC on August 4. It was the second of three Falcon 9 launches booked by Northrop Grumman while a new engine is developed for its Antares rocket.
The Falcon 9 first stage landed successfully, and the uncrewed Cygnus freighter, named for Francis R "Dick" Scobee, a NASA astronaut who perished in the Challenger accident, was inserted into orbit.
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However, things then began to go a little awry. [2]According to NASA, the spacecraft missed its first burn, the "Targeted Altitude Burn" or TB1, "due to a late entry to burn sequencing." The burn was rescheduled for 50 minutes later "but aborted the maneuver shortly after the engine ignited due to a slightly low initial pressure state."
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NASA said in its statement on the matter that: "There is no indication the engine itself has any problem at this time." This suggests that the issue might lie in some sensors or somewhere within the software responsible for controlling the burns.
[5]Boeing's Starliner proves better at torching cash than reaching orbit
[6]NASA pops repair kit in the mail so astronauts can fix leaky ISS telescope
[7]Data pilfered from Pentagon IT supplier Leidos
[8]NASA gives Falcon 9 thumbs-up to launch Crew-9
The mission, which is to deliver 8,200 pounds (3.7 metric tons) of crew supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the orbiting laboratory, had already been delayed from August 3 due to weather concerns. The spacecraft is currently at a safe altitude with its solar arrays deployed.
The original plan called for the spacecraft to be captured by ISS astronauts and installed on the Unity module's Earth-facing port on Tuesday, August 6. However, that hinges on Northrop Grumman's engineers coming up with a new burn and trajectory plan.
The freighter is carrying some extras for the Starliner crew, currently having an [9]extended stay on board the ISS while engineers continue to evaluate the performance of Boeing's spacecraft. This includes clothing removed from the Starliner in favor of ISS spare parts.
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It does not, however, include suits that might be worn by the Starliner crew on a Crew Dragon return mission. ®
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[2] https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialresupply/2024/08/04/nasas-northrop-grumman-cygnus-completes-solar-arrays-deployment/
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/02/boeing_starliner_losses/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/01/nicer_repair_kit_iss/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/24/leidos_data_leak/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/29/nasa_approves_crew_9_launch/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/11/boeings_starliner/
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Re: "This includes clothing removed from the Starliner in favor of ISS spare parts"
Have you ever tried to 'get yourself out' of a pair of Y fronts that are inside out?
Re: "This includes clothing removed from the Starliner in favor of ISS spare parts"
Well no. But nobody said rocket science was easy!
If they're struggling they can always phone Tim Peake, I'll bet he's friends with Bear Grylls, and Grylls will definitely know how to handle an under-pant emergency.
Re: "This includes clothing removed from the Starliner in favor of ISS spare parts"
Does anyone actually use that stupid little passthru?
It puts such a "kink in the hose" that the whole operation becomes a waste of time.
(Thank god for that "Post anonymously?" checkbox)
"Are the woes of the Calamity Capsule catching?"
To be fair, it's still better quality than the shonky and leaky resupply Lada Progress capsules that keep getting sent to the ISS from Baikonur.
The old Progress capsules are old -- decades old -- but they do appear to be reliable.
This the parable for our age. Do you want "the latest", the stuff that's fantastic, full of incredibly new features, ground breaking and so on? The stuff that's full of bugs (but we're get it right on the next release, honest?) Or do you want older stuff that's more prosaic but nethertheless appears to work reliably?
Remember space is not a necessary thing it's only a corporate thing.
All manned spaceflight could end tomorrow and it would not affect life on Earth one bit. Unmanned things like weather satellites, yes we depend on those a lot.
"This includes clothing removed from the Starliner in favor of ISS spare parts"
So up at the ISS, it's the tried and tested, day 1, right way round, day 2 back to front, day 3 inside out, back to front, inside out.
Of course, if the underpants are briefs, they can then rotate them through 180 degrees, and use the left side as a gusset for another four days (as above) and then another 180 degrees to use the right side. Twelve days from one pair, so NASA need not rush on the laundry delivery.
As for tee shirts, astronauts can just do what male planet dwellers do, which is wear them normally until the armpits corrode.
Posts like this are what AC mode was invented for.