Boeing Needs Just One More Day

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Starliner autonomous uncrewed flight test to the ISS in May 2022. (NASA)

Today was supposed to be the day that Boeing launched a crewed capsule to the International Space Station (ISS), but things did not go according to plan (again). Two hours before the planned launch a valve issue on the Atlas V rocket’s second stage put everything on hold. A launch as early as tomorrow is still possible if the matter can be resolved.

The two astronauts aboard the Starliner capsule, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, will need to come back another day to lead this historic mission. The Starliner will be the second commercial vehicle contracted by NASA to bring and return astronauts from the station. SpaceX has been performing this task since its first successful crewed test flight in 2020.

Boeing needs this win after so many bad stories over the years, and not just the stories associated with the Starliner mission. Serious aircraft woes has put a spotlight on the company. A successful launch will not erase the past, but it would be much needed positive press.

Update: Okay, Boeing will need at least until May 17 to inspect the problem valve and prepare for a new launch. Not a great start, but at least the are still expecting a May launch.

Space Quote: Space Jobs are in Demand, and Demanding

Posted on by onespaceman2000

“You’re doing this cool thing…You’re also going to be like really worked to death.”

-Comment by Griffin Rahn, who is earning his aerospace master’s degree at Georgia Tech, in a Fortune article titled “NASA is Struggling to Compete with Bezos, Musk and Their 6-figure Salaries for Starting Aerospace Engineers at Blue Origin and SpaceX.” The title of the article is self-explanatory. See any earlier posting for more on NASA’s troubles maintaining a work-life balance.

Two Japanese Commercial Missions, Only One Reaching Space

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully deploying a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation. (Rocket Lab)

Earlier this week, Japanese cargo was launched towards space by two commercial companies. Unfortunately, only of the rockets made it into space.

On March 13, US company Rocket Lab launched a payload for Japan’s Synspective, an Earth-imaging company, from its launch site in New Zealand. The launch was successful and the StriX-3 satellite was placed into Earth orbit.

The second launch on the same day by Japan’s Space One, which would have been the first commercial launch by a Japanese firm, ended quickly when the rocket burst into flames just a few seconds after liftoff. The rocket was carrying a mock-up of a government spy satellite.

Space One President Masakazu Toyoda stated, “We will find out the cause as soon as possible and clarify our measures to prevent a recurrence.”

Getting it right may take time, as we are seeing with SpaceX’s Starship. Japan wants to maintain strong launch capabilities in both the public and private sectors, and this is just part of the process to make that happen.

Image (Credit): Photos showing the launch and midair explosion of Space One’s Kairos rocket. (KYODO)

Pic of the Week: Third Launch of the Starship

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Starship launch from Boca Chica, Texas on March 14, 2024. (SpaceX)

This week’s pic is from this morning’s launch of the SpaceX Starship from the facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The flight went well until the point of reentry, when SpaceX lost contact and the rocket was lost. The plan had been for both a successful launch and return of the Starship. The Starship’s rocket booster also experienced a malfunction, causing it to crash in the Gulf of Mexico.

Each launch provides more information as it inches towards greater success. We can only hope the progress aligns with NASA’s goals for a return to the Moon.

What is Musk Up to in Ukraine?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A starlink satellite dish. (Visitukraine.today)

Last year we learned that Elon Musk denied the Ukrainians access to Starlink when operating in the occupied portions of their country. He stated he did not want to be “complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.” And yet now we learn that Russia may be using Starlink in this same territory to illegally attack Ukraine, and Mr. Musk seems flustered and cannot seem to believe it is even possible.

It is unlikely that SpaceX is unable to determine where its equipment is being operated and whether it is being used by an invading party to suppress a sovereign nation. Mr. Musk has done a lot of good for Ukraine, yet his statements about Ukraine’s need to give up territory and now this kerfuffle seem to be part of his improper straying into world affairs that are not his affairs. Maybe it is time for the U.S. government to get involved if he is allowing an enemy to use his equipment to destroy a U.S. ally.

When asked about this Russian misuse issue, SpaceX stated:

If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed.

Let’s hope this is the case. It may not be an easy task to sort out the users if both Ukranian and Russian troops are operating in the same area, but it may be critical to the survival of Ukranian forces at a time that Washington is sitting on its hands and incapable of assisting Ukraine nor its NATO partners depending on such assistance.

These are bleak times for Ukraine. It would be unfortunate if all the good will Starlink has acquired is erased with this misdirection of company assets.

Note: Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger tweeted, “Why is @elonmusk shilling for Russia now> Why is he still a US govt contractor?” None of this is good for Musk, SpaceX, or America.

Update: Now we read that Elon Musk may be blocking Taiwan’s use of Starlink. I thought the US government was running Starlink under a separate program called Starshield. Mr. Musk really needs to be taken out of the equation.