Stranded Astronauts

[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

[jon-nyc]

You’d think they could send up compatible space suits when the pick them up.

[George K]

@jon-nyc said in Stranded Astronauts:

You’d think they could send up compatible space suits when the pick them up.

Supposedly, they are on the way on the next SpaceX mission.

[Copper]

[Copper]

https://www.wsj.com/science/space-astronomy/nasa-astronauts-boeing-starliner-iss-update-bd086aab

Stranded NASA Astronauts Will Be Stuck in Space a Little Longer
Return date pushed back again after what was supposed to be a dayslong trip stretched into months

• NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will remain in space until at least late March due to a delay in their return flight.
• The delay is to allow more time to process the SpaceX capsule that will bring them back to Earth.
• Despite the extended stay, Williams and Wilmore have continued to perform their duties on the ISS.

[Mik]

That would be a very uncomfortable position to be in.

[89th]

I’ve heard from astronauts that every single one would love to be stuck in space longer than expected. Now, I’d imagine after a few months the physical side effects will not be comfortable or as safe.