Stranded Astronauts

[George K]

spacex to the rescue:

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-08-24/spacex-to-return-boeings-starliner-astronauts-from-space-next-year-nasa-says

Two NASA astronauts who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule will need to return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle early next year, NASA said on Saturday, deeming issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to carry its first crew home.

Starliner will undock from the ISS without a crew and attempt to return to Earth as it would have with astronauts aboard.

[Copper]

It's time for NASA to close the DEI office.

[LuFins Dad]

Sit right back and you’ll hear a tale… A tale of a fateful trip…

[George K]

So, it seems the NASA spacesuits that went up with the (cough) Starliner are NOT compatible with the SpaceX ship.

I've also read that undocking from the ISS, uncrewed, might be dangerous tricky.

[Copper]

Some people think space is not easy.

[George K]

@Copper said in Stranded Astronauts:

Some people think space is not easy.

From "The Expanse."

[George K]

[George K]

[LuFins Dad]

@George-K said in Stranded Astronauts:

The bartender is not pleased with having just been sprayed with Modelo…

[George K]

Coming home empty this PM.

https://www.space.com/boeing-starliner-crew-flight-test-earth-return-webcast

Boeing's Starliner capsule will depart the International Space Station without astronauts today (Sept. 6), and you can watch the action live.

A livestream of Starliner's homecoming will begin at 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT) today, featuring the capsule's undocking at 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT). You can watch it here at Space.com, via NASA Television.

Landing, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, is scheduled about six hours later, on Saturday (Sept. 7) at 12:03 a.m. EDT (0403 GMT or 10:03 p.m. local time Sept. 6). NASA will livestream that event as well, starting at 10:50 p.m. EDT (0250 GMT).

I remember reading a story that this is pretty risky, considering the unreliability of the helium-powered thrusters. After all, that's why it's not coming down with a crew aboard. Concern is that this unreliability may cause damage to the ISS.

Fingers crossed.

[Tom-K]

Just to think people were going to the moon 55 years ago.

[Jolly]

That was before DEI at NASA.

[Doctor Phibes]

@Jolly said in Stranded Astronauts:

That was before DEI at NASA.

Both shuttle disasters were before DEI, too, so if anything bringing minorities in has made things better!

[Copper]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Stranded Astronauts:

Both shuttle disasters were before DEI,

NASA went full speed ahead with DEI before the Shuttle ever flew.

Although it didn't become the most important thing at NASA until a few years later.

[LuFins Dad]

Apollo 1 was well before...

Of course, wasn't there a movie celebrating the black female mathematicians that worked on the project? Hmmm.

[Mik]

You'd think they would have thought of this in advance.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/nasa-astronauts-can-t-wear-boeing-starliner-spacesuits-in-spacex-s-dragon-here-s-why/ar-AA1q4jHr?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=55d72f54bb7f41b48ad74273fda208c5&ei=67

[Doctor Phibes]

@LuFins-Dad said in Stranded Astronauts:

Apollo 1 was well before...

Of course, wasn't there a movie celebrating the black female mathematicians that worked on the project? Hmmm.

It's probably ok having black mathematicians as long as you don't celebrate them.

[Copper]

The Starliner undocked

Landing 12:03 AM EDT, just after midnight tonight

[George K]

@Copper said in Stranded Astronauts:

The Starliner undocked

Good. No damage to the ISS, I gather. Looked like a clean undocking.

Now, about those space suits...

[Copper]

Reentry and Landing video

Skip to 1:19:00 to see it touchdown

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/starliner