←back to thread

NASA freezes Starliner missions

(gizmodo.com)
269 points rntn | 2 comments | 17 Oct 24 19:56 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
Show context
dotnet00 ◴[19 Oct 24 14:37 UTC] No.41888001[source]▶
Would be clearer to say that its return to flight has been delayed to at least around a year from now.

For the fall/winter 2025 rotation they're going to plan with it being a Crew Dragon flight for now, subject to change depending on how Starliner's fixes go.

They also somewhat misleadingly say that NASA will also rely on Soyuz because of Starliner's unavailability, but that's just about the seat swap arrangement which helps to ensure that both the US and Russia can maintain a continuous presence if either side's vehicles have trouble. IIRC the agreement is expiring and NASA's interested in extending it, but Roscosmos hasn't agreed yet. I say misleading because I think they intended to extend that agreement regardless of Starliner's status.

replies(3): >>41889755 #>>41889872 #>>41899803 #
JumpCrisscross ◴[19 Oct 24 19:06 UTC] No.41889872[source]▶
> Would be clearer to say that its return to flight has been delayed to at least around a year from now

No. The ISS is decommissioned in 2030 and Boeing is losing money on the programme. It makes sense for nobody to continue this charade.

replies(4): >>41890013 #>>41890240 #>>41892015 #>>41894080 #
dchichkov ◴[19 Oct 24 19:50 UTC] No.41890240[source]▶
It is unhealthy to not have competition to SpaceX.
replies(7): >>41890276 #>>41891464 #>>41892428 #>>41893073 #>>41893881 #>>41894305 #>>41895244 #
sixQuarks ◴[20 Oct 24 02:25 UTC] No.41892428[source]▶
SpaceX hasn’t had much competition for years now and they just pulled off catching the largest booster in history like a pair of chopsticks. I don’t think competition is what is motivating them.
replies(2): >>41892634 #>>41893212 #
WalterBright ◴[20 Oct 24 03:23 UTC] No.41892634[source]▶
Musk is getting older. I bet his motivation is to fulfill the mission of humanity on Mars before he passes.
replies(1): >>41894032 #
1. Intermernet ◴[20 Oct 24 08:58 UTC] No.41894032{3}[source]▶
Who can tell? Musk has gone full Kanye at this point. He still has intelligence, but years of people telling him he's the most talented person on the earth have led to a downward spiral of egomania and lack of self awareness. I don't think anyone can guess his motivations at this point.
replies(1): >>41899073 #
2. WalterBright ◴[20 Oct 24 22:38 UTC] No.41899073[source]▶
Musk made his goals for SpaceX well known from the beginning, has for decades maintained that was his goals and his actions with SpaceX are all consistent with those goals.

What more could you want?

> downward spiral

Oh come on.