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As exciting as this is, I’ve read that this capsule faces uncertain future after 7 launches: the rocket it was launched on is retired, and while it’s compatible
by ein0p 2y ago
As exciting as this is, I’ve read that this capsule faces uncertain future after 7 launches: the rocket it was launched on is retired, and while it’s compatible with Falcon it’s not clear what the advantage would be wrt SpaceX’s capsule to warrant additional testing. Imagine working on something for over a decade only to see it fly just 7 times!
- bitcharmer 2y agoThe main goal of the project has been achieved as far as Boeing is concerned :)
- Meerax 2y agoBear in mind they still need to return the astronauts safely to touchdown.
- dotnet00 2y agoIt isn't compatible with Falcon, it can be made to be compatible with Falcon in the future. It wouldn't really be worth doing though, since part of the point of having two providers is dissimilar redundancy, so that any issues with one platform don't affect the other. It's more likely that if Boeing wants to keep flying Starliner after using up the stock of Atlas Vs, they'll want to integrate it on Vulcan Centaur rather than Falcon.
- nickff 2y agoOne might imagine that an issue could be found on Dragon, which grounded it, but not the Falcon 9. That said, it’s definitely less redundant than one might like.
- glenstein 2y ago>Imagine working on something for over a decade only to see it fly just 7 times! Huh? My understanding was that something unique about the falcon is the capability of multiple reuses, in contrast to previous missions that were one and done uses. What past experience in the history of spaceflight might someone be referring to where seven reuses registers as a disappointment?
- jdminhbg 2y agoThis is about the entire lifespan of the Starliner program, not just one piece of hardware.
- ein0p 2y agoIt did not launch on Falcon. Once the current stock of rockets it did launch on runs out they will have no launch vehicle.
- nordsieck 2y ago> Once the current stock of rockets it did launch on runs out they will have no launch vehicle. Exactly. Just to elaborate for your parent, the Atlas V which currently flies Starliner uses an RD-180 engine that's manufactured in Russia. ULA is no longer able to procure any more such engines, and a rocket with those engines are no longer legally allowed to fly DoD payloads. Which prompted ULA to retire Atlas V in favor of Vulcan. I think someone from ULA or Boeing (I forget which) recently said that they've begun the process of certifying Starliner on Vulcan, although I'll have to go back and make sure I remember exactly what was said.
- asadotzler 2y agoThey won't reuse any Starliners 7 times. Twice is more likely. Three times reuse, perhaps. They can't refub in time to send the same craft up twice in a year as required by the contract so they'll need at least two. If anything goes wrong with either of those, they'll need a backup. Now they've got three for 6 flights. These vehicles will get one, two, or at best 3 launches and then retired to the scrap heap while SpaceX Dragon continues to ferry people to the ISS if it gets an extension and if not then to the first private orbital stations. Boeing should never again get a NASA contract after SLS and Starliner.
- vikramkr 2y agoI think the parent comment is referring to there only being 7 launches total for the entire program before being cancelled, not 7 launches per capsule.
- asadotzler 2y ago"The capsule" here means a decade of R&D and half a decade building production models. If turnaround is about 6-8 months, they're going to need at least two and I'll bet they build three or more because reuse and refurb won't go as well as they hope. That means about 10 years of R&D since they got the initial contracts and then about half a decade of production for the flight articles and then a wind-down of a couple years and a skeleton crew to make the last few flights. A 15-20 year project that sends dozens of people to space for the last years of the ISS's lifetime is not going to be a disappointment for 95% of the people who worked on this.
- ein0p 2y agoI don’t think you understand. It’s not 7 launches per capsule. There could be 7 launches in total for this.
- spacemark 2y ago>Imagine working on something for over a decade only to see it fly just 7 times! Haha, I'm guessing you don't work in the space industry. Frankly if something you work on gets to space at all you count yourself fortunate. My first job was at a defense contractor working on a big rocket. A senior engineer on our team had a picture of the Indiana Jones warehouse on the wall in his office, rows and rows of boxes. I asked him why, he said it's a reminder to not get too stressed about work - 9 out of 10 projects will never fly. Things are changing especially in the new space corners of the industry, but for big projects requiring political will I think it's still the same.
- nordsieck 2y ago> My first job was at a defense contractor working on a big rocket. Out of curiosity, were you working on one of the Ares rockets?
- torginus 2y ago>Frankly if something you work on gets to space at all you count yourself fortunate. That is unless you work on a ballistic missile
- lostlogin 2y agoThis bares thinking about. On a working holiday in the UK it was a revelation to find just how huge the defence industry really is.
- mbonnet 2y agoHaving more than one thing capable of doing something is an advantage in a field as uncertain as spaceflight.
- Reubachi 2y agoI have spent years building cars that ran once, twice to great effect/happiness of all involed. Getting to space SEVEN times off one poweplant/project is nothing short of incredible.
- happyopossum 2y ago> Getting to space SEVEN times off one poweplant/project Sure, if you ignore the 20+ year old Atlas V that actually launched it...