SpaceX News

[WLJ]

2nd try
T-48 minutes at time of posting

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches CRS Cygnus NG-21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYjuWuVdTl4

Leak reported on Cygnus. Not sure if it's scrub yet

[WLJ]

go for launch

[WLJ]

On it's way to the ISS

[WLJ]

https://x.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1820118633768452431/photo/1



https://x.com/LaunchPhoto/status/1820196548388454451/photo/1

[WLJ]

Trouble?

Chris Bergin - NSF reposted
Kevin Michael Reed
@kmreed
I find this NASA tweet in their launch thread to be missing some important information. According to their blog post, not only did Cygnus miss its first burn, but the rescheduled burn was aborted.

https://x.com/kmreed/status/1820203177079087363

[Jim147]

I'm just not ready to write off Starliner just yet despite considering it a colossal waste of money that could of have been spend better elsewhere. One wonders where our space program would be right now if it wasn't for SpX.

NASA and Boeing seem to have gone radio silent on what they are going to do. Best guess's I'm hearing is to send them back on SpaceX and try a controlled remote landing and see what happens.

[WLJ]

NASA and Boeing seem to have gone radio silent on what they are going to do. Best guess's I'm hearing is to send them back on SpaceX and try a controlled remote landing and see what happens.

And on Cygnus too. The silence is deafening

[dogmush]

Chris Bergin-NSF

All good now with NG-21 Cygnus:

"The Cygnus spacecraft has completed two delta velocity burns, and it remains on track for a capture by the space station’s robotic arm slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The spacecraft is in a safe trajectory, and all other systems are operating normally."

https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1820537374767480904

[WLJ]

Was starting to wonder there

[WLJ]

NASA reposted
Square profile picture
International Space Station
@Space_Station
.@northropgrumman
’s Cygnus spacecraft, packed with nearly 8,200 pounds of supplies, science, and food for the crew, was successfully installed to the Earth-facing port of the space station’s Unity module at 5:33am ET. More… http://go.nasa.gov/46xg1V3

https://x.com/Space_Station/status/1820756439457243544

[dogmush]

Well this is going to be awkward for Boeing

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/nasa-likely-to-significantly-delay-the-launch-of-crew-9-due-to-starliner-issues/

NASA has quietly been studying the possibility of crew returning in a Dragon for more than a month. As NASA and Boeing engineers have yet to identify a root cause of the thruster failure, the possibility of Wilmore and Williams returning on a Dragon spacecraft has increased in the last 10 days. NASA has consistently said that ‘crew safety’ will be its No. 1 priority in deciding how to proceed.

The Crew 9 delay is relevant to the Starliner dilemma for a couple of reasons. One, it gives NASA more time to determine the flight-worthiness of Starliner. However, there is also another surprising reason for the delay—the need to update Starliner’s flight software. Three separate, well-placed sources have confirmed to Ars that the current flight software on board Starliner cannot perform an automated undocking from the space station and entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

At first blush, this seems absurd. After all, Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test 2 mission in May 2022 was a fully automated test of the Starliner vehicle. During this mission, the spacecraft flew up to the space station without crew on board and then returned to Earth six days later. Although the 2022 flight test was completed by a different Starliner vehicle, it clearly demonstrated the ability of the program's flight software to autonomously dock and return to Earth. Boeing did not respond to a media query about why this capability was removed for the crew flight test.

It is not clear what change Boeing officials made to the vehicle or its software in the two years prior to the launch of Wilmore and Williams. It is possible that the crew has to manually press an undock button in the spacecraft, or the purely autonomous software was removed from coding on board Starliner to simplify its software package. Regardless, sources described the process to update the software on Starliner as "non-trivial" and "significant," and that it could take up to four weeks. This is what is driving the delay to launch Crew 9 later next month.

[Ben]

Can the Starliner not be remotely piloted? If it can, and this is an "overabundance of caution for crew safety" thing, it seems the expedient thing to do would be to let Elon bring the crew back and then remotely fly the Starliner back. Again, if this is one of those, "We're 95% sure it's safe, but not 100% sure" things.

[dogmush]

That's what the article I posted was talking about.  According to it THis Starliner does not have the software to allow it to return without crew inside flying it.  So if the crew comes down on Dragon, the Starliner craft is lost.

It's not clear if they can even get it off the ISS without someone inside it with the current software.

[Ben]

That's what the article I posted was talking about. 

What? I'm supposed to read the articles now? I expect to have my news spoon fed to me.

Though (still not having read the article), if the software can't be updated remotely, can't they just send up a Howard Wolowitz with a laptop to physically update it?

[dogmush]

What? I'm supposed to read the articles now? I expect to have my news spoon fed to me.

Though (still not having read the article), if the software can't be updated remotely, can't they just send up a Howard Wolowitz with a laptop to physically update it?

From the article (and the part I quoted in my post):

Sources described the process to update the software on Starliner as "non-trivial" and "significant," and that it could take up to four weeks.

Perhaps that's 3.5 weeks to train up a nerd in spaceflight, 72 hours to travel to ISS, and 10 min to load the new software and hard reboot the spacecraft.   

[RocketMan]

What? I'm supposed to read the articles now? I expect to have my news spoon fed to me.

Though (still not having read the article), if the software can't be updated remotely, can't they just send up a Howard Wolowitz with a laptop to physically update it?

If you would just read the article!  Sheesh!      

Seriously though, Boeing is going to update the software remotely, returning the ability for the Starliner to autonomously return to Earth.  According to the article the update could take up to four weeks.  The autonomous functionality was in the software package for the previous unmanned test flight, but Boeing removed it for this first manned flight.  They're not saying why it was removed.

edited to add Dogmush beat me to the button push.

[Ben]

If you would just read the article!  Sheesh!      

Yeah, but I don't have to read it now that I've whined and you guys explained it to me. 

[AZRedhawk44]

Strikes me as a gross safety violation at the ISS if they're going to alter vehicle software mid-mission.

I'm speculating, but I bet the mechanism to flash the vehicle with new code involves sending development software to a laptop on the ISS, training an on-site astronaut on the use of the dev software, connecting that laptop to the capsule (USB?  RS-232?) and pushing freshly built code to the vehicle.  As such, the vehicle will likely be powered down or power-cycled during the event.

The International Docking Adapter (IDA) ports that Dragon and Starliner and Cygnus use (and Dreamchaser will use) are supposed to be androgynous, but everything sent to the ISS thus far has been either A or B gendered.  I want to say that all capsules have the Active portion of the interface, while the ISS has only a Passive form of the interface.  There are hooks that secure the vehicle to the station, and the motors that control them are on the capsule rather than ISS.  This is for lifeboat purposes, so that if ISS is compromised, survivors that make it to the capsule can depart the station using the capsule's computers or manual bypasses and not rely on the ISS functioning to disengage from the station.

Now, imagine if Starliner does what your inkjet printer does when it power cycles.  Tests range of motion of clamps, or function of clamp sensors... something like that.  With the capsule door open and the ISS IDA port open to the capsule, you vent the station and capsule both to space.  It's possible there is a manual security lock for the IDA clamp hooks; I would hope there is at least.  Something software cannot touch, and only operates manually from  the capsule side.

Conversely, if they shut everything at the capsule and ISS and flash the vehicle with the astronauts inside, they are now in a machine that is powered off and at the mercy of whatever is on the laptop and in their heads, with about 8 cubic meters of breathable air to resolve any new problems.

Flashing the vehicle mid-mission is asinine.

[WLJ]

Crew 9 bumped to Sept 24th https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/falcon-9-block-5-crew-9/

The below says to give them more time to fiddle with Starliner

https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1820916282797003199

Chris Bergin - NSF
@NASASpaceflight
"This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory. Starliner ground teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft’s integrated propulsion system, and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner’s return to Earth. NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return.

The Crew-9 launch adjustment also deconflicts the next SpaceX rotation with the upcoming Soyuz handover targeted for no earlier than mid-September. Teams are working to prepare the Crew-9 mission to be ready to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to deconflict with pad preparations for NASA’s Europa Clipper mission beginning this September at nearby Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA also will adjust the launch of SpaceX’s 31st commercial resupply services mission to no earlier than mid-October."

[WLJ]

Welcome to the hotel ISS
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave

[WLJ]

Looks like they're getting ready for some more Slap Testing

[WLJ]

Hmmm

Chris Bergin - NSF reposted
Ryan Caton
@dpoddolphinpro
.@NASA's Steve Stich confirms they have set up the Crew-9 Dragon to have the flexibility to launch with 2 astronauts, and return with 4 (Starliner's Butch and Suni) in Feb 2025. SpaceX Suits are ready, Seats are ready, however it has not been “formally” enabled yet. They are setting up contingencies for multiple scenarios.

https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/1821227302333681975

If the Feb date throws you a bit Feb is when Crew-9 is scheduled to return not launch.
This would mean if they do this they will be bumping two from the launch now currently scheduled for Sept 24. Crew-9 launch was originally scheduled for mid Aug.

[WLJ]

Looks like that info comes from this

Live coverage: NASA to discuss ISS schedule shuffle amid SpaceX Crew-9 launch delay, Boeing Starliner questions
https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/08/07/live-coverage-nasa-to-discuss-iss-schedule-shuffle-amid-spacex-crew-9-launch-delay-boeing-starliner-questions/

[WLJ]

Ryan Caton
@dpoddolphinpro
I asked @NASA's Dana Weigel if the 2 astronauts bumped off Crew-9 would be moved to Crew-10, and if that'd cause a recurring issue down the line:
NASA haven’t worked through those specific details, as they tend to assign crew 2 years out for training. In this case the crew are fully qualified to work on ISS and Dragon. NASA will look at the future manifest and just see "what makes sense for the overall crew compliments going forward".

https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/1821244018866507968

Just come out and say it NASA. Enough of this song and dance.

[WLJ]

More
Crew-8 in the mix

Chris Bergin - NSF reposted
Ryan Caton
@dpoddolphinpro
Roundup of today's @NASA
 Teleconference about @Space_Station
 Operations and @BoeingSpace
's Starliner CFT mission:
Crew-9
- NASA has set up the Crew-9 Dragon to have the flexibility to launch with 2 astronauts, and return with 4 in Feb 2025; SpaceX Suits for Butch & Suni are ready, SpaceX Seats for Butch & Suni are ready.
- However, the Crew-9 contingency has not been “formally” enabled yet.
- Steve Stich would not say which 2 astronauts would not fly on Crew-9 at this time.
- They have another contingency to allow 3 crew members on the Crew-8 cargo pallet if they need to undock Starliner autonomously prior to the arrival of Crew-9 - which would leave Butch & Suni without their spacecraft accessible as a Safe Haven.

Starliner CFT
- Ken Bowersox and Dana Weigel would not say which vehicle for Butch & Suni's return they’re leaning towards right now as “it could change drastically” over time.
- NASA could certify Starliner for operational crewed missions without bringing Butch & Suni back onboard the vehicle, pending data reviews of the thruster/helium issues.
- The Starliner software is the same whether crewed or uncrewed. What needs to be updated is a “specific set of mission parameters”. NASA calls those Mission Data Loads.

July SpaceX Task Order
- The SpaceX Task Order in July was for a contingency where Tracy Caldwell Dyson would return on Dragon, and not Soyuz MS-25. Similar to Frank Rubio & Soyuz MS-22.

Fleet Management
- Crew-9’s Falcon Booster is now going to be flying on a Starlink mission prior to Crew-9, because of the 1 month slip.

https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/1821246302232977593