Finally Happened! NASA Considering Returning Starliner's Astronauts On Crew Dragon

Finally Happened! NASA Considering Returning Starliner's Astronauts On Crew Dragon
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#Q88M #q88m #spacex #starship #elonmusk #starliner
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0:00 - 0:29 : Intro
0:30 - 2:34 : Root of Starliner’s problems
2:35 - 6:45: Back on Dragon?
6:46 - 9:19: Boeing’s Poor Safety Culture
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Source:
   / @spacex  
https://x.com/spacex
   / @boeing  
https://x.com/BoeingSpace
   / @nasa  
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Finally Happened! NASA Considering Returning Starliner's Astronauts On Crew Dragon
Unacceptable!
It’s been over two months since Butch and Suni boarded the Starliner and arrived at the ISS, yet there’s still no clear resolution or responsible decision from Boeing and NASA. not even one! Speculation is running wild, and it seems even the astronauts themselves are left in limbo about their own futures.
Finally, at the August 7th press conference, NASA admitted the scenarios they are considering for returning the astronauts and revealed new behind-the-scenes developments.
What's really happening? and How can the astronauts make it back home?
Let’s find out in today’s episode.
Finally Happened! NASA Considering Returning Starliner's Astronauts On Crew Dragon
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is grappling with a series of critical issues that have made it impossible to safely return astronauts to Earth at this time. The primary concern lies with the spacecraft’s Reaction Control System (RCS). Preliminary test results have highlighted several severe technical problems:
Firstly, Thermal Expansion: When the thrusters heat up, Teflon seals or poppet valves may expand and warp, obstructing the flow of fuel to the thrusters. Secondly, Fuel Evaporation: High temperatures can also cause fuel to evaporate, significantly reducing the thrusters' performance. In space, every newton of thrust counts, and this loss can severely impact the spacecraft’s maneuverability and control.
Finally Happened! NASA Considering Returning Starliner's Astronauts On Crew Dragon
What’s more concerning is that Boeing has yet to fully pinpoint the root cause of these issues. Despite numerous tests, they have not reached a definitive conclusion or devised a solid fix. This uncertainty only deepens the worries about the Starliner’s reliability.
The situation has become so dire that NASA is considering an unprecedented scenario: bringing a crewless Starliner back to Earth. However, a completely new problem has emerged. The Starliner can't return without astronauts on board.
What went wrong?
During the OFT-1 and OFT-2 test flights, Boeing used an uncrewed version of the spacecraft to test its ability to fly and dock with the ISS. For these missions, they implemented software that allowed for automatic undocking. However, Starliner was originally designed solely for crewed missions, unlike SpaceX's Dragon, which started as an uncrewed cargo vehicle.