3 ms·
Sure, it's inherently risky, so managing that risk becomes key to success. The thing here is that NASA has a choice. 1) Use Starliner with it's dodgy developm
by HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
Sure, it's inherently risky, so managing that risk becomes key to success.
The thing here is that NASA has a choice.
1) Use Starliner with it's dodgy development history, no track record of reliability, and with the problems experienced with this specific unit.
2) Use Dragon, tried and tested, with an excellent history of reliability
This should be a no-brainer.
If Starliner can't safely autonomously undock at the moment (and anyways needs a month for software reload/verification apparently - not sure why verification takes so long), then leave it there until there's a solution to do it safely. In the meantime the ISS has 6 docking ports, currently all in use with 3 supply vessels and 3 crew (Starliner+Dragon+Soyuz), so presumably there is some flexibility there.
- WalterBright 2y agoHaving competitors trying to out do each other is good for the space program. Having only one solution available leads to problems as well.
- HarHarVeryFunny 2y agoSure, and NASA are also nurturing Blue Origin who may be a good option in the future. I don't think anyone looks bad here if NASA go with Dragon and Starliner flies home autonomously and without incident. It makes Boeing look good, and everyone in the room look like adults. OTOH given the poor Boeing performance to date, killing a crew would probably take them out of the NASA program for a very long time, if not forever, and even having a non-fatal failure on way back would make the judgement of both Boeing and NASA look very poor.
- peterfirefly 2y agoBut Boeing isn't trying to "out do" SpaceX -- except when it comes to political connections. Maybe Dream Chaser will be that competitor. We'll see.
- richardwhiuk 2y agoThey have to undock either Dragon (Crew 8) or Starliner to dock the next Dragon (Crew 9).
- HarHarVeryFunny 2y agoWhat about the port currently used by the Northrup Grumman supply ship - is that not compatible with Dragon ? Is there no adaptor to make the Russian Soyuz/Progress ports usable by Dragon ?
- richardwhiuk 2y agoI believe there's a difference between the cargo ports and ports suitable for manned vehicles. [Edit] The difference, is that Cygnus berth by Candarm to a berthing port, while Crew Dragon, Starliner and Cargo Dragon dock to a docking port.
- HarHarVeryFunny 2y agoThanks! Googling more about this, it seems the Russian portion of the ISS has 4 docking ports, but US portion has 2 docking + 2 berthing ports, and the Russian ports are not compatible with the US ones. There is also apparently a US "pressurized mating adaptor" (PMA) that adapts a "common berthing mechanism" (CBM) port to a docking one, which sounds as if it might (if one were available, and could be installed) be able to adapt one of the US berthing ports for use by Dragon.