This week’s image is from earlier today when the Russian’s successfully launched its Progress MS-28 cargo spacecraft via a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS). The resupply mission was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome located in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft will rendezvous with the ISS on Saturday.
Note: NASA identifies the mission as Progress 89.
This week’s image is from the International Space Station (ISS). It shows Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply capsule on August 6, 2024 as the International Space Station’s (ISS) Canadarm2 robotic arm attempts to capture it. NASA noted that this Canadarm2 maneuver marked the 50th free-flying capture for the robotic arm.
I did not think it could get worse, but it has. NASA has announced that Boeing’s Starliner capsule attached to the International Space Station (ISS) might not return until next year, making it an unwanted appendage on a busy space station.
At a press conference today, NASA discussed leaving the two Boeing astronauts on the ISS until February 2025 and cutting in half the planned crew for the September 24 SpaceX Dragon mission. This would keep the number of astronauts on the space station to its normal number. There was also discussion about bringing the Boeing astronauts back on another capsule if the Starliner was not ready.
This looks bad for Boeing and NASA’s commercial space efforts. Boeing does not agree with NASA’s assessment, stating in an August 2 mission update:
Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew. We continue to support NASA’s requests for additional testing, data, analysis and reviews to affirm the spacecraft’s safe undocking and landing capabilities. Our confidence is based on this abundance of valuable testing from Boeing and NASA. The testing has confirmed 27 of 28 RCS thrusters are healthy and back to full operational capability. Starliner’s propulsion system also maintains redundancy and the helium levels remain stable. The data also supports root cause assessments for the helium and thruster issues and flight rationale for Starliner and its crew’s return to Earth.
All of this is happening while the ISS crew are unloading supplies from a recently arrived Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo capsule launched over the weekend. It does make you wonder whether Grumman should be the next best hope for a crewed capsule rather than Boeing. Grumman has a proven track record of more than 20 resupply runs. Clearly, crewed capsule are different, but it is something to consider.
Sierra Space is also testing its Dream Chaser next month, which is also expected to make cargo runs to the ISS. It this another potential crew option down the road?
The purpose of commercial involvement was greater options. Let’s work on expanding those options as quickly as possible. Placing all of our eggs in the Elon Musk SpaceX basket makes me nervous as he calls for civil war in the United Kingdom.
The weather cleared enough in Florida on Sunday for the SpaceX launch to take place, sending the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft towards the International Space Station (ISS) after some earlier delays.
At 11:02 am ET, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched Northrop Grumman’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission (NG-21) to the ISS from Space Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The spacecraft will intercept the ISS on Tuesday, August 6. With the extra Starliner astronauts on board awaiting permission from Boeing to return to Earth, it is likely that the supplies will be very welcome.
Another three astronauts will be launched to the ISS on August 18 as part of the normal crew rotation. Hence, it will get even more crowded at the station by mid-August.
Update: The next crewed mission to the ISS was moved to “no earlier than” September 24 to give the Starliner more time to return to Earth.
“I’m very disappointed in the recent NASA decision to cancel the VIPER rover…Please work with me as the bill moves forward to look for ways to repurpose the lander portion of this mission to advance moon-to-Mars objectives. The mission directly supports a national imperative for continued US leadership in science and exploration in the face of urgent geopolitical competition.”
-Statement by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) at a July 25, 2024 budget hearing, as quoted by CNN. The CNN story highlights efforts by The Planetary Society to encourage the continuation of the mission as well as NASA’s efforts to solicit U.S. industry and international partners’ “expressions of interest” by August 1, 2024 for ways to use “the existing VIPER rover system at no cost to the government.”
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