The end of the Boeing game? In the industry-led space race, the Americans are staying behind a dangerous schedule, and it’s not coming to an end. A second unmanned test flight of the Starliner space capsule was scheduled for March 2021, then April, then July, then early August, and ultimately didn’t take place.
On Friday evening, August 13, as a last resort, Boeing decided to separate the capsule of the Atlas V rocket that was scheduled to be taken into space to return to the factory. Given the launch schedule this fall at Cape Canaveral, moving the Starliner to the launch pad before the end of the year seems in jeopardy. This puts at least six months away from a possible first manned flight, tentatively scheduled for early 2022.
A project that was selected in 2014 and it didn’t work
Boeing was selected in 2014 by NASA to develop a future taxi for the International Space Station (ISS), at the same time as rival SpaceX. This was to ensure that deliveries of American astronauts, to replace the Shuttle, were stopped in 2011. Contract with Boeing, an industrialist already heavily involved in the US space program, totaled $4.2 billion. SpaceX, a newcomer at the time, earned just $2.6 billion.
However, after nearly ten years, only the SpaceX spacecraft flew. Since May 2020, Elon Musk has provided three manned courses with the International Space Station, with ten astronauts, including France’s Thomas Pesquet. The Boeing Starliner has not yet completed its unmanned test flight. The first, and so far unique, filling of the space capsule began in December 2019, and was unsuccessful.
About thirty minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft placed itself in the wrong orbit, losing its designation with the International Space Station. more dangerous, fatal error In the computer program it had to be fixed by the ground team…they themselves had a problem with the vehicle control!
This fault probably led to a collision between the capsule, where the crew would eventually be found, and the service unit, the section containing various electrical equipment. This section is usually separated and then burned in the atmosphere when the crew returns to Earth.
Unresolved valve problem
Obviously, the near-avoidable space catastrophe led Boeing and NASA to conduct a second unmanned experiment. Unfortunately, this second Starliner attempt couldn’t leave the firing point. This time it was the thrusters responsible for the failed emergency turns and maneuvers.
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More precisely, the valve responsible for opening to supply this plunger remains in the closed position. Several interventions in early August managed to loosen most of the valves, but four remained clogged. Without Boeing or NASA being able to determine the cause of the problem.
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