NASA

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the intertank of the SLS (Space Launch System)’s core stage for NASA’s Artemis III mission to move it to another location in the 43-acre factory for further inspection and production.
Photo: NASA

“Fast, Cheap, or Right. Pick two.”
– an old engineering aphorism

A report from NASA’s Office of the Inspector General released several key findings about Boeing and the Michoud assembly facilities today. In that report, they cited massive cost overruns for the Exploration Upper Stage, quality issues at Michoud and an underqualified workforce at that facility.

source: NASA

Findings About the Exploration Upper Stage

The Exploration Upper Stage is a cornerstone of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B rocket now slated to debut on Artemis IV. Developed and built by Boeing, it is planned to increase the SLS rocket’s cargo capability some 40%. Currently, Block 1 SLS, such as the one used for Artemis I and slated for Artemis II, can carry 27 metric tons to the moon. The Block 1B iterations of SLS, using the EUS will increase that capability to 38 metric tons.

The SLS Block 1B has been under development since 2014 and has faced changing technical requirements and competing funding priorities. These factors, along with congressional directives to accelerate the rocket’s development, have led to increased costs and schedule delays. Originally intended for the Artemis II mission, Block 1B’s first flight was moved to Artemis IV, extending the development timeline and increasing costs. Boeing’s EUS contract has grown from $962 million to over $2 billion through 2025, contributing to the overall SLS Block 1B cost increase.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

The OIG added that Boeing’s Earned Value Management System (EVMS) has been rejected by the US Department of Defense for four years. EVMS is used to gauge adherence to budgets and timelines, and is not completely unlike a project management tool.

NASA delayed establishing the Block 1B Agency Baseline Commitment until December 2023, after 10 years of development and much later in the project life cycle than NASA’s standard practice. Without a formal cost and schedule baseline at critical milestones, the Agency was limited in its ability to assess adherence to budgets and timelines, and Congress and other stakeholders lacked visibility into the Block 1B’s increasing costs and schedule delays. Additionally, Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s EVMS, used by NASA for its Stages contract to measure cost and schedule progress, has been disapproved by the U.S. Department of Defense since 2020. DCMA has issued several Level II and III CARs for this EVMS, including a Level III CAR related to visibility into cost, schedule, and resource needs for several Boeing contracts, including Stages.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

Essentially, it seems that the OIG is saying that NASA’s insight into progress and budgets is limited, and that the tool used to measure those critical items was deemed not fit for purpose by the DoD.

Boeing Quality Issues Cited

The OIG did not mince words in their scorn at Boeing’s quality control practices at Michoud:

While NASA requires its aerospace contractors to have quality assurance programs that comply with SAE International’s AS9100D standards on quality management systems, we found Boeing’s quality management system at Michoud does not adhere to these standards or NASA requirements. NASA engages DCMA to conduct surveillance of Boeing’s core and upper stage manufacturing efforts at Michoud, and when deficiencies in quality are found, DCMA issues Corrective Action Requests (CAR) to the contractor. CARs are labeled Level I through IV, with Level I the least serious deficiency. From September 2021 to September 2023, DCMA issued Boeing 71 Level I and II CARs, as well as a draft Level III CAR. According to DCMA officials, this is a high number of CARs for a space flight system at this stage in development and reflects a recurring and degraded state of product quality control. Boeing’s process to address deficiencies to date has been ineffective, and the company has generally been nonresponsive in taking corrective actions when the same quality control issues reoccur.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

SAE International’s AS9100D is an industry-standard framework for guiding quality systems for manufacturers in the aerospace field. It came about when aerospace companies found that in practice, ISO 9001 was inadequate for DoD, NASA, FAA customer requirements. AS9100 added 55 aerospace industry-specific amplifications and requirements to ISO 9001:1994, and is often viewed as the quality standard for companies like Boeing.

Quality standards are dry to read to be sure, but they are part and parcel of any manufacturing process. Government procurement quality standards are easily found online, and make for good — if not exciting — reading.

  • Level I CARs [Corrective Action Requests] are issued to the supplier management level responsible for taking corrective actions for a nonconformity that can be corrected on the spot, and where no further corrective action response is necessary.
  • Level II CARs are the minimum level for a nonconformity associated with critical characteristics. They are issued to the supplier management level responsible for initiating corrective actions when the contractual nonconformity cannot be corrected on the spot. Level II CARs may be issued to subcontractors, and may be coupled with contractual remedies such as charge for additional cost of inspection or test when prior rejection makes reinspection or retest necessary. The purpose of a Level II CAR is to help a supplier improve their QMS. [Quality Management System]
  • Level III CARs are issued to the supplier’s top management for serious contractual nonconformities, failure to respond to a Level II CAR that has been issued, and repeat Level II CARs which indicates inadequate root cause determinations. Level III CARs are issued by the DCMA NSEO ACO and may be coupled with contractual remedies to include reduction of progress payments, cost disallowances, business management systems disapprovals, and charge for additional cost of inspection or test when prior rejection makes reinspection or retest necessary. A Level III CAR is the DCMA NSEO Commander’s management tool to correct issues that need to be addressed.
  • Level IV CARs are issued to the supplier’s top management when a Level III CAR has been ineffective and when the contractual nonconformity is of a serious nature. Level IV CARs are issued by the DCMA NSEO ACO and may be coupled with contractual remedies to include suspension of progress payments, suspension of product acceptance activities, removal of QAR from facility, and charge for additional cost of inspection or test when prior rejection makes reinspection or retest necessary.

The OIG found that Boeing Michoud had a higher-than-acceptable level of quality issues, with 71 lower-level violations leading to the drafting of a single higher-level finding. In short, that finding is all but a red alert that quality problems are present and persisting, and OIG continued by saying that Boeing’s responses and corrective actions were inadequate.

Artemis II’s Core Stage, built by Boeing at Michoud, arriving at KSC in July 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Workforce Issues

OIG cited workforce issues at Michoud as a major concern:

According to NASA officials, the welding issues arose due to Boeing’s inexperienced technicians and inadequate work order planning and supervision. The lack of a trained and qualified workforce increases the risk that Boeing will continue to manufacture parts and components that do not adhere to NASA requirements and industry standards.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

Later in the report, OIG explained why this is a problem for Boeing:

According to Safety and Mission Assurance officials at NASA and DCMA officials at Michoud, Boeing’s quality control issues are largely caused by its workforce having insufficient aerospace production experience. Michoud officials stated that it has been difficult to attract and retain a contractor workforce with aerospace manufacturing experience in part due to Michoud’s geographical location in New Orleans, Louisiana, and lower employee compensation relative to other aerospace competitors.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

Boeing is paying a lower than market rate for employees in a region of the US that is less desirable for those workers. Put another way, highly experienced, high-talent individuals can make more money while they live in areas that they prefer to Michoud.

Effectively, Boeing has made the business decision to have a pay rate structure that has aligned with with a lesser experienced, lower skilled workforce at Michoud.

We project the SLS Program’s Block 1B development costs will reach approximately $5.7 billion before the system is scheduled to launch in 2028. This is $700 million more than the Block 1B cost and schedule baseline, or Agency Baseline Commitment (ABC), that NASA formally established in December 2023 at nearly $5 billion. The EUS accounts for more than half of the cost of Block 1B development. We estimate EUS development costs will reach nearly $2.8 billion through 2028, roughly three times the initially agreed-upon cost of $962 million in 2017.

NASA’s Management of Space Launch System Block 1B Development

Specific Recommendations From OIG

The OIG made four specific recommendations:

1. Coordinate with Boeing, the SLS Stages prime contractor, to develop a quality management system training program that is compliant with AS9100D and reviewed by the appropriate NASA officials.

2. Institute financial penalties for Boeing’s noncompliance with quality control standards.

3. Perform a detailed cost overrun analysis on Boeing’s Stages contract for EUS development.

4. Coordinate with DCMA [Defense Contract Management Agency] to ensure contractual compliance with EVMS clauses.

NASA Response

In Appendix B of the OIG Report, NASA said the following: first, that it concurs with recommendations 1, 3, and 4, but that it does not agree (“nonconcurs”) with the second recommendation, to institute financial penalties for Boeing’s non-compliance with quality control standards.

Its rationale for declining the second recommendation is that the agency

“interprets this recommendation to be directing NASA to institute penalties outside the bounds of the contract. There are already authorities in the contract, such as award fee provisions, which enable financial ramifications for noncompliance with quality control standards.”

The agency commented that

“NASA is dedicated to ensuring that its workforce and associated contractors are qualified and properly trained to ensure the safety of its missions. This includes employing project managers and technical experts who work closely with contractors to provide guidance and ensure compliance with contractual obligations. NASA holds all its programs to the highest technical and programmatic standard levied on the spaceflight community, and ESDMD bears the responsibility of equipping Artemis astronauts with safe, reliable hardware to enable the most ambitious of engineering and scientific goals.

NASA also cited supply chain and labor shortages as drivers of cost and scheduling impacts.

“The aerospace industry is facing significant supply chain disruptions, similar to, and in some cases in a more acute scale, to the broader economic supply chain issues. These disruptions have been exacerbated by various factors, including labor shortages, transportation delays, and raw material shortages. These disruptions have had a profound impact on the aerospace industry, leading to production delays, increased costs, and challenges in meeting customer demand. ESDMD’s buying power is decreasing each year and escalating. These unforeseen challenges, including technical issues, are all contributing factors to cost and schedule impacts. NASA is working to adapt through proactive management strategies and understanding the interconnected factors shaping the aerospace market’s dynamics.”

Taken all together, this does not paint a pretty picture for a company that has been dogged by quality problems across the breadth of its business. Nor does it paint a pretty picture for the future of SLS — a program whose total costs have spiraled upwards seemingly non-stop since its inception.

Clearly, Boeing is not managing its manufacturing very well, and it is failing to address serious issues as they arise. In short, it sounds a lot like the same issues Boeing is facing with its commercial aircraft business.

Whether this draws the eye and ire of Congress remains to be seen. Perhaps these eye popping numbers of the exploding cost of the EUS project in the OIG report makes that inevitable, and perhaps in a Congressional examination lower cost alternatives may gain traction. Time will tell.

Source: NASA
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Starliner CST-100 in launch preparation, May 31, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

NASA managers say they are close to a decision on when and how they plan to bring Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight test astronauts from the International Space Station. The mission was originally slated to run eight days, but the pair have been in orbit for sixty-three days since their June 5th launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard an Atlas V.

“I don’t think we’re too far away from making that call,” Ken Bowersox, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate said this afternoon. He added, “We know that at some point we need to bring Butch and Suni home [but] while they’re up there, we have extra crew, we have extra hands, they can do a lot more work, but they’re also using up   more consumables, more supplies.”

“As we’ve said before, our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner, however, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open.”

Steve Stich, NASA’s Manager for the Commercial Crew Program, August 7, 2024

Bowersox added that Williams and Wilmore may not return on the Starliner spacecraft. “In the case that we have with the Starliner crew,” he said, “the option to either bring the crew home  on the Starliner or to bring the crew home on another vehicle.  We could take either path, and reasonable people could pick either path depending on where their view is on our position in the uncertainty bound  that we have for the date.”

“We have been working with SpaceX to ensure that they are ready to respond on Crew 9 for a contingency of returning Butch and Suni on Crew 9,” Bowersox said. “If we need that we have set up the [Crew] Dragon for Crew 9 to have flexibility to have only two passengers fly up on that flight.”

One thing that NASA did not disclose is which two of the Crew 9 crew would potentially be taken off the mission should the need arise. “We’re not really ready to share  the data on which crew members,” said Steve Stich. “I think we’ll do that at the appropriate time.”

Why The Uncertainty About Starliner?

Ken Bowersox from his days as a Space Shuttle astronaut.
Photo: NASA

The reason for the uncertainty is well-documented: Starliner has thruster problems on its Service Module, and engineers and mission managers within NASA are not unanimous that the spacecraft can be safely flown until such time as the Starliner capsule would separate from its troubled SM and then begin re-entry.

Bowersox said, “We’ve got on the thruster system, on the propulsion system.  Moving forward, what we’re trying to do is reduce that uncertainty, see if we can drive some more consensus, amongst our team  at the same time getting more serious about evaluating our other options.  It’s been really great to watch our team working, our Boeing team, our NASA team, the way people are speaking up; the way we’re hearing different voices, different thoughts on how critical  different  factors are in the decision.”

“I think it’s been very healthy,” Bowersox said, speaking about the debate behind the scenes.  “I have to admit that sometimes when we get this agreement, it’s not fun. It can be painful having those discussions, but it’s what makes us a good organization and it’s what will get us to a good decision as we approach that point here in the future.”

“And I don’t think we’re too far away from making that call.”

Steve Stich Comments On Starliner Issues

Steve Stich, NASA’s Manager for the Commercial Crew Program, gave an in-depth rundown of the technical aspects of Starliner’s issues:

“I’ll talk a little bit more about the manifest changes we’ve made and what we’ve done to give ourselves some flexibility in the near term relative to  all the options that we’re looking at. So, if we start with Starliner last time we talked  a lot about testing results at White Sands, we had completed the thruster testing, which was essentially two uphill [ascent to ISS after launch] profiles trying to get to the temps that we saw on this particular thruster.”

Steve Stich
Photo: from previous NASA livestream

“And then we really have done five downhill [undocking and free flight to reentry] profiles with that particular thruster. We were able to replicate degradation in the thruster during. That testing, and we saw that continually on the downhill side with the thruster thrust levels degrading over time, which seems to mimic what we’re seeing in flight to some extent  during those downhill profiles, as we talked about during that testing, we gained insight into what we think one of the contributing factors are for that thrust degradation.”

Stich continued: “And that would be this Teflon seal on the oxidizer line poppet. Now, this poppet’s really small. It’s about, if you hold up your little pinky finger, it’s about the size of that. A little bit smaller even than your pinky finger. So it’s a small poppet. But what we saw during that testing is the  swelling of that Teflon seal.”

A simplified poppet valve. The one causing the Starliner issue is undoubtedly a different design, and this one is presented in order to give a reader an idea of the basic construction of one.
Graphic: instrumentationtools.com

“It kind of extruded a little bit. And what happens with that seal is it blocks the flow into the thruster itself, down into the combustion chamber. So we know that’s happening. We know we can get vaporization when it gets hot in that line, bringing propellant into the thruster.”

“And also when that poppet is blocked by the Teflon seal, we see some cavitation, in other words, unsteady  flow across that poppet.  We have some animation that we hope to be able to release soon to you. So you can see  what this is like. Boeing has been doing a lot of work on that animation.”

“Hopefully, we can have them share that soon so you can get a better idea of that mechanism as well. We also have this same theory that has some vaporization of the propellant, right, and it drops the thrust. So there’s really two key things that we think is happening. One, when the thruster gets really hot, the propellant can vaporize.”

“That’s where we saw the really low thrust readings on docking day. And then as the poppet swells, we can get some blockage there. Based on what we learned at White Sands,  what we’re trying to do now is sort of understand what all that data means to us from the white sands testing and then what it means to the thrusters on orbit.”

 “We did do a hot fire while we’re docked to the International Space Station on Saturday, July 11.   we wanted to understand the performance of all the thrusters across the vehicle. So we hot fired all 27 thrusters. We did not hot fire one thruster in the bottom doghouse.”

“We call it the B1-A3 thruster. That one had really low thrust before, during  the dock when we were docking back on July 6. And so we did not. Or June 6, and we did not hot fire that thruster. The interesting thing when we hot fired the thrusters is all the thrusters now across the whole vehicle are essentially at nominal thrust level.”

“So, for example, the one that we saw the most degradation in the two. A two was at about 80% before the hot fire, and now it’s about 98%. So somehow, if the poppet is the theory of what’s causing the thrust degradation, the blockage in that ox flow, somehow that piece of Teflon must have contracted and is now not blocking the flow like it was.”

“And so we have a nominal flow, essentially, into that. Thruster and nominal thrust. What we’re really trying to do now, that gives us a lot of confidence in the thrusters, but we can’t totally prove with certainty what we’re seeing on orbit is exactly what’s been replicated on the ground.”

“We’re trying to understand a little bit more about the conditions that cause the thruster fail-offs. It’s not always at the same temperature. It’s not always at the same number of pulses. And so we’re trying to understand that we are doing modeling on the ground to try to understand how this Teflon could extrude what the forces are on that Teflon.”

“And then trying to understand how it could contract over time. People really want to understand the physics of  what’s going on relative to  the physics of the Teflon, what’s causing it to heat up, what’s causing it to contract. And that’s really what the team is off trying to understand. And then look ahead toward the downhill phase and the heating on the downhill phase and seeing if we can model that on the downhill phase and ensure we have good thrusters.”

“Again, we have really good knowledge of what the downhill is. But how does that really help us out?”

 “In combination with that, we have tried to buy ourselves a little bit of time to work various options for return. And so recently, this week at the Program Control Board, just yesterday, we approved moving the Crew 9 mission to no earlier than September 24. We took that to the Program Control Board, and it was approved.”

— Steve Stich, August 7, 2024

Stich on Using Starliner As A Rescue Vehicle

Starliner CFT commander Butch Wilmore, May 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

“We have been working with SpaceX to ensure that they are ready to respond on Crew 9 for a contingency of returning Butch and Suni on Crew 9 if we need that. We have set up the dragon for Crew 9 to have flexibility to have  only two passengers fly up on that flight,” Stich said.

“And then we could return four crew members in the February 2025 timeframe. And Butch and Suni would remain on station and become part of that increment and return home with them on Crew 9. Now, we haven’t approved this plan. In other words, we’ve done all the work to make sure this plan is there.”

“We have the suits identified to fly up on Crew 9. We have the seats set up so that we can fly multiple complement of people. But we have not turned  that on formally, as that’s the path that we’re going to go down. But we wanted to make sure we had all that flexibility in place.”

“We’ll  fly up the supplies needed on that Crew 9 flight, including any suits needed for butch and Suni.  You know, we’ve done previous work with that for other contingencies.  And we’ll have the foam inserts to work on all the seats for the various crew members.”

“So we’ve done a lot of contingency work and a lot of contingency planning for a lot of scenarios, but we think now we would have the whole waterfront covered. As I said, we haven’t really implemented planning for the mission for these things, but we have all the items in place to keep all the options on the table.”

That said, it appears that NASA is keeping its options open by thoroughly investigating and completing at least preliminary plans for the option of returning the Boeing Starliner CFT astronauts on a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

At the end of the press conference several things were clear: first, that NASA is undecided on whether to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth using Starliner, second, that there are disagreements within NASA about doing that, and third, that returning on a SpaceX Crew Dragon is a very real possibility with planning already started for that option as a contingency.


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Axiom 3 at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 crew will fly aboard a similar spacecraft.
Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville

Axiom Space announced the crew for its planned Axiom 4 mission today. The company’s release stated that it is partnering with India, through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Poland, with European Space Agency (ESA) support, and Hungary to send three national astronauts to the space station on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the company’s next commercial human spaceflight mission to the orbiting laboratory.

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary will make up the crew for the flight, Axiom said.

“Ax-4 represents Axiom Space’s continued efforts to build opportunity for countries to research, innovate, test, and engage with people around the world while in low-Earth orbit,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space.

Suffredini added that, “This mission broadens horizons for nations with ambitious goals of advancing scientific, technological, and economic pursuits. Our collaboration with ESA for a second time and the inclusion of Hungary and India underscores Axiom Space’s ability to cultivate global partners, expand the scope of exploration, and open up new avenues to grow a global space economy.”

Peggy Whitson

Dr. Peggy Whitson
Photo: NASA

Dr. Peggy Whitson (Rice University, 1986) is one of the most experienced astronauts in spaceflight history, having already completed four previous spaceflights. She has spent more than 675 days in space and has flown on the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and Crew Dragon on previous flights.

Her 289-day flight was the longest single space flight by a woman until Christina Koch’s 328-day flight eclipsed her record. Dr. Whitson is also oldest woman spacewalker ever and holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. She has conducted ten EVAs during her career, totalling over sixty hours outside in the darkness of space.

Dr. Whitson is 64 years old, and hails from Beaconsfield, Iowa. Axiom 4 will be her fifth spaceflight.

“I look forward to commanding my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space,” said Peggy Whitson, Ax-4 commander. “With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage. Axiom Mission 1 was the first all-private mission to the space station, Axiom Mission 2 launched the first Saudi female to space, and Axiom Mission 3 included both the first Turkish astronaut and first ESA astronaut to fly on a commercial space mission. Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars.”

Shubhanshu Shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
(Photo: X/@IAF_MCC) 

Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, on October 10, 1985, wing commander Shubhanshu Shukla is an alumnus of India’s National Defence Agency, a joint-forces training academy for the Indian military.

Shukla was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the Indian Air Force. He is a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot with approximately 2000 hours of flying experience.

Shukla will be India’s second gaganyatri – the Indian term for astronaut –  in space. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was aboard the Indo-Soviet crewed mission in 1984, making him the first from his country to go space. This will be ISRO’s first crewmember to fly on an American flight destined for the International Space Station.

ISRO is also independently working on advanced development of crewed flight capability. ISRO’s Human Rated Launch Vehicle (or Gaganyaan) is an ongoing program developing the technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low Earth orbit. Gaganyaan is ostensibly near its first of two uncrewed test flights, as the first flight’s latest projected launch is sometime this year. ISRO hopes to launch its first crew in 2025.

Gaganyaan capsule.
Photo: ISRO

Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla have been named for India’s first crewed flight of Gaganyaan, and undoubtedly, Shubhanshu Shukla’s training, flight experience and lessons learned from flying Crew Dragon on Axiom 4 will be of great aid to ISRO’s efforts to bring the Gaganyaan program to full fruition with a successful first mission.

Sławosz Uznański

Sławosz Uznański
Photo: ESA

Born in Łódź, Poland in 1984, Dr. Sławosz Uznański is a Polish engineer working at the European Space Agency (ESA) as a project astronaut since 2023. He was formerly at The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN.)

In 2011, Uznański received a doctor’s degree with distinction from the University of the Mediterranean Aix-Marseille II for thesis on radiation-tolerant designs for space applications.

He will be the second Pole to space, following Mirosław Hermaszewski in 1978. Hermaszewski flew on the Soviet Soyuz 30 spacecraft, and spent nearly eight days in Earth orbit.

Tibor Kapu

Tibor Kapu
Photo: BME

Tibor Kapu is a 32-year-old engineer who graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in his native Hungary.

He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry on batteries for hybrid cars and radiation protection for astronauts. For the last two years, he has worked on space radiation protection at Remred Space Technologies in the space industry. As a parachutist, he has 38 jumps under his harness.

Kapu will be the second Hungarian astronaut, and like Shubhanshu Shukla, he will be the first from his country to fly on an American spacecraft to ISS. Forty-four years ago, Bertalan Farkas became the first Hungarian astronaut. Farkas flew Soyuz 36 and docked for over 26 days at the Soviet Salyut-6 space station.

Astronauts In Training

The Axiom 4 crew have arrived in Houston, according to Axiom Space, and will now begin training for their flight, slated for NET October 2024. They will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 / Crew Dragon from Florida. Peggy Whitson will lead the training.

Axiom 3 liftoff in January 2024. The Ax-4 crew will fly a similar spacecraft NET October 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
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On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen being encapsulated inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing as it prepares to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for the 21st Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services for NASA. The mission will carry 8,200 pounds of science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
Photo: NASA

(Article updated to include information from NASA and Dr. Jonathon McDowell 3PM August 5)

After a picture-perfect launch Sunday morning, Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus CRS-2 NG-21 (S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee) spacecraft encountered issues with its solar power array and its single engine.

NASA announced yesterday that there were issues with the solar arrays that powered the spacecraft, and that it had burned its first orbital correction engine burn intended to put Cygnus on a path towards ISS.

The solar array issue has been rectified, according to NASA

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft completed the deployment of its two solar arrays at 2:21 p.m. EDT after launching at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station for NASA.

NASA, August 4, 2024

Of equal concern is a problem with Cygnus’s engine, which experienced low pressure during its planned firing:

Shortly after launch, the spacecraft missed its first burn slated for 11:44 a.m. due to a late entry to burn sequencing. Known as the targeted altitude burn, or TB1, it was rescheduled for 12:34 p.m., but aborted the maneuver shortly after the engine ignited due to a slightly low initial pressure state. There is no indication the engine itself has any problem at this time.

Cygnus is at a safe altitude, and Northrop Grumman engineers are working a new burn and trajectory plan. The team aims to achieve the spacecraft’s original capture time on station, which is currently slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

NASA, August 4, 2024

August 5 Update From NASA, Dr. Jonathon McDowell and NASA

Around 3PM EDT, NASA gave the following update:

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft continues on its way to the International Space Station following launch at 11:02 a.m. EDT Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Cygnus spacecraft completed the deployment of its two solar arrays at 2:21 p.m. the same day.

The Cygnus spacecraft has completed two delta velocity burns, and it remains on track for a capture by the space station’s robotic arm slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The spacecraft is in a safe trajectory, and all other systems are operating normally.

Shortly after launch on Sunday, the spacecraft performed as designed by cancelling a scheduled engine burn due to a slightly low initial pressure reading flagged by the Cygnus onboard detection system. Engineers at Northrop Grumman’s mission control center in Dulles, Virginia evaluated the pressure reading, confirmed it was acceptable and re-worked the burn plan to arrive at the space station on the originally planned schedule.

NASA, August 5, 2024

Dr. Jonathon McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and perhaps the most authoritative source concerning orbital objects also offered this update shortly after three today.

From all appearances, Northrup Grumman, IHI Aerospace and NASA have rectified the issues that seemed to imperil the NG-21 mission on its first full day in space. Hopefully, Cygnus’s problems are behind it, and the spacecraft will bring some much-needed supplies and items to ISS as planned.

About Cygnus’s Engine

Cygnus is an American cargo spacecraft designed for expendable logistics missions to the International Space Station (ISS). It features two main components: the Service Module (SM) and the Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM). The Service Module includes 32 thrusters for attitude control and a BT-4 main engine, which burns 800 kg (1,800 lb) of hypergolic propellants—hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide.

Photo: satcatalog.com / IHI Aerospace

The BT-4 engine, a pressure-fed liquid rocket engine, is developed and manufactured by IHI Aerospace of Japan. IHI Aerospace has manufactured and delivered over 200 bipropellant thrusters for spacecraft since the start of development in the 1980s.

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Despite on a 10% GO forecast and storms closing in from a distance, Falcon 9 flies another perfect mission.

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus CRS-2 NG-21 (S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee) to orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff was at 11:02 AM EDT under variable skies that showed a strong chance of storms coming in shortly afterwards.

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Falcon 9 ascending
Falcon 9 and Northrup Grumman’s NG-21 Cygnus cargo capsule lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on August 4. 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Despite on a 10% GO forecast and storms closing in from a distance, Falcon 9 flies another perfect mission.

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus CRS-2 NG-21 (S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee) to orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff was at 11:02 AM EDT under variable skies that showed a strong chance of storms coming in shortly afterwards.

Roughly seven and a half minutes after liftoff, Booster B1080 made a meteoric descent before firing up three of its Merlin engines and settling down for a soft landing back at the Cape at Landing Zone 1. At that moment, a pair of sonic booms heralded the Space Coast of booster’s return from its tenth flight.

At 11:18 AM EDT, SpaceX announced a successful separation of Cygnus from Falcon 9, ending their mission portion having had yet another good day.

Via X.com

Cygnus will not travel to ISS, and is under Northrup Grumman and NASA’s control. It is expected to arrive around 03:10 AM EDT. NASA TV will begin coverage 01:30 AM EDT on its broadcast and streaming channels.

Launch Replay

NASA / SpaceX coverage

Next Launch

SpaceX will launch the Starlink 8-3 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral NET Wednesday at 08:59 AM EDT

  • Date: NET August 3, 2024
  • Organization: SpaceX
  • Mission: Starlink 8-3
  • Rocket: Falcon 9
  • Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
  • Launch Window: 08:59 AM – 12:59 PM EDT
  • Payload: Another 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites
Falcon 9 “punches the core” and creates a vapor cone from its shock wave as it approaches Max-Q.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Falcon 9 Booster B1080.10 starts its landing burn with a puff of green smoke and the fire of three Merlin engines.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.

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Falcon 9 awaiting launch at SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral
Falcon 9 sitting on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex on August 3. 2024. After a beautiful sunrise, conditions slowly deteriorated Satruday. The launch was scrubbed at around 10AM later the same day.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Official Forecast Has Low Confidence In A Clean Range Weatherwise

After Saturday’s scrub, SpaceX stated it would attempt to launch Falcon 9 and the Northrup Grumman Cygnuns NG-21 mission towards the International Space Station Sunday morning.

“SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 4 for Falcon 9’s launch of Northrop Grumman’s 21st Cygnus mission (NG-21) to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 11:02 a.m. ET.”

Why Saturday’s Attempt Was Scrubbed

About 90 minutes before Saturday’s planned liftoff at 11:21 AM EDT, a line of heavy thundershowers brushed over Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Launch Complex 40. Another squall line with anvil clounds with potential lightning was heading towards the Cape when mission managers made the call to waive off the attempt for the day.

The launch window was instantaneous, meaning SpaceX could not delay the launch time to let the storms pass.

Weather Forecasters Not Confident For Sunday

The 45th Weather Squadron is pessimistically rating Sunday’s chances at only 10% GO:

Via 45th Weather Squadron
Retrieved August 3. 2024 02:00 PM EDT

Their discussion is nearly as dismal as the launch chances: “The Space Coast will remain on the eastern side of the system upon its slow approach Sunday, with fast moving squalls bringing numerous rounds of heavy rain and strong winds. As a result, the Probability of Violation (POV) is very high for the initial launch window Sunday morning,” says the 45th.

“For the backup launch window Monday morning, the weather will remain poor with a similar POV as deep tropical moisture lingering as the Tropical System slides into the Florida Big Bend and Northeast Florida. Winds will remain strong with tropical squalls moving through Central Florida.”

But, it’s Florida, and a one in ten chance can end being all that SpaceX needs to successfully launch and land Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Stay tuned.

Launch Preview

Here’s yesterday’s full preview of the NG-21 mission. All information is still accurate, except for the launch times and weather forecast (those have been updated here).

The Belt of Venus (Earth’s shadow) is descending rapidly as the sun starts to rise Saturday morning.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
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Falcon 9 lifts off in January lofting the Northrup Grumman NG-21 payload towards ISS.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Update: 12 PM EDT Saturday

A wave of thunderstorms passed through the Cape Canaveral area around 90 minutes before liftoff Saturday, forcing SpaceX to stand down from its launch attempt today.

The company said in a latter post on X.com that they would try again tomorrow, but with a 90% Probability of Violation and an approaching tropical system off of Florida’s west coast, the chances of that don’t seem very high. Monday’s forecast is equally squirrelly as the system is forecast to arc through northern Florida, creating storm squalls and windy conditions across the state.

On the other hand, it’s Florida and the weather here can be unpredictable. So, we’ll see when SpaceX can get this launch off of the pad.

—————-

SpaceX is planning to launch Falcon 9 carrying the NG-21 ISS Resupply mission for Northrup Grumman. Liftoff Saturday morning is set 11:28 AM EDT (1538Z) in an instantaneous window from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

SpaceX plans for the booster to return and land at Landing Zone 1 in Cape Canaveral. The Space Coast will hear a sonic boom from the booster as it herald’s its return, which should happen approximately 7.5 minutes after liftoff.

Weather is a major concern for this launch, as a tropical disturbance’s passing to the west in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to bring heavy rains to the Space Coast over the weekend. Current forecasts are calling for weather to arrive sometime Saturday, so the timing of the storm coupled with the normal storm activity of Florida in summer leaves forecasters calling the chances of acceptable weather a coin flip with a 50% chance of a Probability of Violation at launch time.

At A Glance

  • Mission: Northrup Grumman NG-21
  • Date: NET August 3, 2024
  • Launch Window: 11:28AM EDT (1528 Zulu)
  • Weather: 50% GO at launch time
  • Organization: SpaceX
  • Rocket: Falcon 9
  • Trajectory: Northeastward
  • Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
  • Booster Landing: Landing Zone 1, CCSFS
  • Payload: Cygnus CRS-2 NG-21 (S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee)
  • Destination: International Space Station

Payload

Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus (S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee) cargo spacecraft, loaded with scientific investigations, supplies, and equipment.

Graphic: NASA

According to NASA, the payload includes:

  • Test articles to evaluate liquid and gas flow through porous media found in space station life support systems.
  • A balloon, penny, and hexnut for a new STEMonstration on centripetal force.
  • Microorganisms known as Rotifers to examine the effects of spaceflight on DNA repair mechanisms.
  • A bioreactor to demonstrate the production of many high-quality blood and immune stem cells.
  • Vascularized liver tissue to analyze the development of blood vessels in engineered tissue flown to the space station.

Weather

General Forecast

The forecast at launch time looks relatively benign:

Temperature28.9°C
Humidity~65%
PrecipitationNone, Probably
Cloud coverVariable
Windspeed (at ground level)10-15 MPH / 4.5-6.7 m/s
Visibility~16.5 miles / 27.0 km

Official Launch Forecast

The 45th Weather Squadron’s discussion in their launch forecast mentions the tropical system noted above. “All eyes will remain on Potential Tropical Cyclone Four (PTC 4) as it lifts out of the Greater Antilles and into the Gulf of Mexico. The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center has the system becoming a named storm Saturday and skirting the western Florida Peninsula Sunday, potentially making landfall as a Tropical Storm anywhere from the Florida Big Bend to southwest Florida.

Regardless of where the center of the storm makes landfall, the Space Coast will be on the eastern side of the system, and weather is likely to deteriorate with time from Saturday afternoon into Sunday. For the initial launch window, scattered showers are expected to approach the coastline out of the southeast and potentially move onshore.”

Their primary concerns that could necessitate a delay are: the Cumulus Cloud Rule, Surface Electric Fields Rule, and Thick Cloud Layers Rule.

via 4th Weather Squadron
Retrieved 1600 EDT, 08/02/2024

Trajectory

Northeastwards.

Landing

The booster used for this mission, B1080, will land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

A Falcon Heavy side booster firing up its engines to land last month at Cape Canaveral
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Online Viewing

SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream

SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: NG-21 Mission. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five minutes before liftoff.

NASA’s launch coverage begins at 11:00 AM EDT on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.

Launch Viewing: In Person

This morning’s planned launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are: 

Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, where you will be able to see ignition, liftoff and the booster landing. Free.

Kennedy Space Center Vistor’s Center. From Apollo/Saturn V Center. Premium Launch Transportation Ticket. Bleacher seating is available, expert commentary, and closer view of the launch from across Banana Creek. Landing is pretty far away, relatively speaking. $70 for the launch viewing ticket plus entrance fees and parking. If you choose this go very early — lines will be long!

The southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville. Kennedy Point Park and Rotary Riverview Park (among others) are your best bets for free viewing sites. These sites will be great for the launch, but not as good for the landing.

Indirect Views

There are several excellent viewing spots for SLC-40 launches that offer indirect views — meaning you won’t see the rocket until it clears obstructions such as trees, buildings, even a storm berm in one case.

  • Jetty Park, Port Canaveral
    • Fee required, much be purchased in advance: Port Canaveral Store
    • It’s very possible to see a cruise ship coming or going.
    • The pier especially has great views of the landing — probably the best that the public can get to. The launch view is indirect.
  • Cocoa Beach
    • Parking fees (probably). Pay with your smartphone on the parking app. There are signs everywhere telling you how.
    • Further away, but still good views. Launch and landing is indirect.
  • Northern Titusville Parks
    • Further away, but really nice views after liftoff.
    • You won’t see the landing directly, but instead from a good distance away.

Restaurants With Good Launch Views

  • The Space Bar ($$$) – atop the Courtyard Marriott near Kennedy Parkway
  • New York New York ($$) – on the Indian River with an outdoor seating area. Is family-friendly.
  • Shiloh’s ($$$) — located on the Indian River with an outdoor deck overlooking KSC/CCSFS

Playalinda Beach

Playalinda Beach out on the Cape Canaveral National Seashore should be open to spectators until 8 PM EDT, that is if KSC Security and the National Park Service allow viewers for the launch. Generally, they have been, but security concerns can differ for each launch. It opens to visitors at 6 AM.

This is a popular place, so if you go, go early.

Call ahead to be sure they are open..

Cape Canaveral National Seashore • Playalinda Beach
Phone: (386) 428-3384 x0

Current operating hours: 6:00 AM–8:00 PM

If you are going to Playalinda, and if it is open, remember these general tips. Some may not apply to this particular launch.

  • Get there at least two hours early, or better, earlier than that. Lines are long at the entry gate and they will only allow as many spectator vehicles as there are parking space available.
  • Cape Canaveral National Seashore has a fee to get in and cash is not accepted. Debit and credit cards are okay, or if you have one of the National Park Service’s passes for the Seashore or the National Parks, that will work as well.
  • Cellphone service is spotty at best and often non-existent at Playalinda. Don’t count on your cellphone to keep up with the launch; you might get a signal, or you might not.
  • You are not allowed to view from the pullouts on Beach Road. Stanchions will block them. You’ll have to park and go to the beach.
  • Refreshments are not available. There are no stores at Cape Canaveral National Seashore, so you’ll need to bring drinks and food if you want any while you’re there.
  • Rangers will keep you back a certain distance from the launch area on the beach. Even if the beach is open, you’ll still be unable to go down to the fence that demarcates the normal security zone. There’s a line that spectators can’t go past somewhat north of the fence. That’s for safety and security.

Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.

Booster: B0180

SpaceX states on their website, “This is the tenth flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, SES ASTRA 1P, and four Starlink missions.”

That’s Booster B1080.

Booster B1080
Flight NumberMissionDate
1Axiom-2May 21, 2023
2EuclidJuly 1, 2023
3Starlink 6-11August 27 2023
4Starlink 6-24October 22, 2023
5Axiom-3January 18, 2024
6CRS-30March 21, 2024
7Starlink 6-52April18, 2024
8Starlink 6-62May 23, 2024
9Astra 1P / SES-24June 20, 2024
B1080 record as of June 20, 2024

Countdown Timeline

Hr/Min/SecEvent
00:38:00SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
00:35:00RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
00:35:001st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
00:16:002nd stage LOX loading begins
00:07:00Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
00:01:00Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
00:01:00Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
00:00:45SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
00:00:03Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
00:00:00Falcon 9 liftoff
via SpaceX

Launch, Landing and Deployment

Hr/Min/SecEvent
00:01:08Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:181st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:221st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:302nd stage engine starts (SES-1)
00:02:35Boostback Burn Starts
00:02:58Fairing deployment
00:03:24Boostback Burn Ends
00:06:171st stage entry burn start
00:06:341st stage entry burn ends
00:07:241st stage landing burn start
00:07:311st stage landing
00:08:332nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:14:35Cygnus Deploys
Via Spacex
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 members (pictured from left to right) NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi.
Photo: NASA

NASA announced the members of the Crew-10 mission to ISS today. They slated to fly to ISS no earlier than February of next year aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon and Falcon 9.

NASA astronauts Commander Anne McClain and Pilot Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov will join astronauts at the orbiting laboratory next year.

Anne McClain

Anne McClain
Photo: NASA

This will be McClain’s second spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2013 and is a colonel in the U.S. Army. McClain earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and holds master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering, International Security, and Strategic Studies.

The Spokane, Washington, native is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. She has more than 2,300 flight hours in 24 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including more than 800 in combat, and was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Rugby Team.

On her first spaceflight, McClain spent 204 days as a flight engineer during Expeditions 58 and 59 and was the lead on two spacewalks, totaling 13 hours and 8 minutes. Since then, she has served in various roles, including branch chief and space station assistant to the chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office.

Nichole Ayers

Nichole Ayers
Photo: NASA

Ayers is a major in the U.S. Air Force and the first member of NASA’s 2021 astronaut class set to fly to space. The Colorado native graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a minor in Russian.

She later earned a master’s in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University in Houston. Ayers served as an instructor pilot and mission commander in the T-38 ADAIR and F-22 Raptor, leading multinational and multiservice missions worldwide. She has more than 1,400 total flight hours, including more than 200 in combat.

Ayers is also a former athlete, and was a member of the academy’s varsity volleyball team.

Takuya Onishi

Takuya Onishi
Photo: JAXA

The Crew 10 flight will be Onishi’s second trip to the International Space Station. After being selected by JAXA in 2009, he flew as a flight engineer for Expeditions 48 and 49 became the first Japanese astronaut to robotically capture the Cygnus spacecraft. He has spent 113 days in space. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Tokyo and was a pilot for All Nippon Airways, flying more than 3,700 flight hours in the Boeing 767.

He also constructed a new experimental environment aboard Kibo, the station’s Japanese experiment module. Since his spaceflight, Onishi became certified as a JAXA flight director, leading the team responsible for operating Kibo from JAXA Mission Control in Tsukuba, Japan.

Kirill Peskov

Kirill Peskov
Photo: Roscosmos

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission also will be Peskov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, he earned a degree in Engineering from the Ulyanovsk Civil Aviation School and was a co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft for airlines Nordwind and Ikar. Assigned as a test-cosmonaut in 2020, he has additional experience in skydiving, zero-gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.

Peskov will be flying aboard a Crew Dragon as part of the seat exchange program finalized in 2022 between the United States and Russia.

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Starliner docked at ISS.
Photo: NASA

NASA’s Steve Stich and Boeing’s Mark Nappi provided an update on the Starliner CFT flight today in a teleconference. They stated that while no return date has been set for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return aboard the spacecraft, the agency and Boeing are relatively close to a Readiness Review that must be conducted prior to Starliner undocking from ISS and returning to Earth. According to NASA, that review may come as soon as the end of next week — or August 2, 2024.

“I think we’re starting to close in on those final pieces of the flight rationale to make sure that we can come home safely,” said Steve Stich.

Below are in-depth comments given by Stich and Nappi.

Addressing Returning On SpaceX Crew Dragon

Steve Stich was asked what the backup plan was if Williams and Wilmore could not return on Starliner. “Obviously, the luxury in our program today, and we’ve never really had this option in other NASA programs, is we have two different systems that we’re flying,” Stich replied. “Obviously, the backup option is to use a different system. I would rather not go into all those details until we get to that time, if we ever get to that time on what we plan to do.

“The beauty of having Dragon and Starliner in two different diverse space transportation systems is we can kind of use those as backups someday. Starliner could be a backup to a Dragon mission, and we’ve looked at all kinds of different contingencies for that. You’ve seen the Russians send up an empty Soyuz, right, to return a crew when they had a coolant leak.”

“I think the beauty of what we have in commercial crew is two different systems, and we would employ those systems if we need to, but we really have our team focused on as we close in on this final flight rationale: returning, uh, Butch and Suni on Starliner,” said Stich.

When asked to clarify his remarks, Stich said, “Our prime option is to complete the mission. There is a lot of good reasons to complete this mission, and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner. Starliner was designed as a spacecraft to have the crew in the cockpit. The crew is integral to the spacecraft.”

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore prior to launching aboard Starliner.
Photo: NASA

He added, “There’s a lot of objectives for the flight: having Butch and Suni on board during the deorbit burn and during the entry. Understanding how they monitor the system, how they work with the seat suit interface for landing, getting suited up in the vehicle. And then there’s a whole process of landing and recovery team that we really want to demonstrate before we get into [the] Starliner-1 mission.”

That said, Stich did not specifically rule out using Crew Dragon as a rescue vehicle, but he did make it clear that the current plan is to use Starliner to return the astronauts to Earth after a Readiness Review is completed.

NASA’s Steve Stich’s Comments

“We don’t have a major announcement today relative to a return date,” NASA’s program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program said today at the opening of the press conference. He added, “We’re making great progress, but we’re just not quite ready to do that.”

Steve Stich, NASA program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in today’s press conference.
Photo: from NASA livestream

Later, Stich added, “We’ll work to execute an agency review as soon as we’re ready to do that. That could be as early as late next week. We are following the data and we’ll schedule that review when we need to, and then after that, we’ll set the undock time.”

Parsing Stich’s comments, it is important to note that the agency review could be as soon as next week, but may be delayed further as mission managers and engineers review data from both the Crewed Flight Test Starliner in orbit — “Calypso” — and testing being conducted on the ground in New Mexico.

“I’ve said before, the key attributes of the flight rationale, really, are that we understand the helium leaks, we understand the stability of the leaks, and how we can manage those should they get bigger,” Stich said.

Stich also said that, “We have a criteria in place that we have established, a leak rate that will check before undock and verify that system is good to go.”

A test of Calypso’s thrusters will also be conducted this weekend, while the spacecraft remains docked to ISS. “The hot fire test this weekend will give us confidence in all the thrusters,” Stich said. “Then [we will have] the understanding coming out of White Sands relative to what that testing means and how it applies to the rest of the thruster system.”

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is seen after it landed in White Sands, New Mexico, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. The landing completes an abbreviated Orbital Flight Test for the company that still meets several mission objectives for NASA’s Commercial Crew program. The Starliner spacecraft launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 6:36 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Essentially, it sounds like Boeing and NASA will compare ground tests from White Sands to the results they get from Calypso while it is in orbit.

Stich gave further detail. “Really, it’s about the key use of the thrusters for the deorbit burn; that’s the next time we use them. We know the thermal environment is less for the deorbit burn. We know the stressing cases on the thrusters are less.”

Stich concluded his opening remarks by saying “That’s really, I think, the final pieces of the flight rationale that we need to put together. The team is doing great. The joint Boeing and NASA team is doing well. They’re working side by side with each other every day.”

Boeing’s Mark Nappi’s Comments

Nappi is the vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program. He leads the development, flight test, certification and missions of the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner system.

Nappi opened his comments in today’s press conference by saying, “Last time we talked to you, we had 33 actions to complete in order to get to a place wherewe thought we had a good vehicle to come home and we could learn something about the root cause [of the thruster problems.] Of course, the long pull to those actions was all the testing at White Sands that Steve [Stich] talked about. At the time, we believed we had thrusters that were healthy, and we concluded we were good for emergency return.”

Boeing’s vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program in today’s press conference.
Photo: NASA, from their livestream.

Nappi then went into further detail. “Remember, we said we did not have root cause and know what it was going to take to fix it permanently. So, we said, let’s take the time, let’s figure this out. Let’s run this testing at White Sands. If there’s anything more we can do after that testing while we’re docked to ISS, let’s take advantage of that, and then we’ll come home.”

“I think the plan has played out really well. In addition, it’s given us additional confidence to undock and return, and we have a little bit more work to do, as Steve has outlined.”

Nappi Gives A Thorough Breakdown Of Recent Activities

The following is a breakdown of Starliner’s status and testing that Mark Nappi provided today. While it is lengthy, readers may find it worthwhile to read in order to understand what has been done and what the current status of the spacecraft is.

“First of all, let’s start with the helium system. We have a service module at White Sands that was exposed to propellant. And it’s been exposed for about three years. So it was a really good test case to go and do some leak checks on and then take that hardware apart.”

“We did those leak checks. We found leaks. Of cours it’s been exposed to NTO [nitrogen tetroxide] for quite a while. We took the hardware apart, and we found pretty good degradation of the seals, which indicated that they had been exposed to NTO and degraded. So that was a really, really good data point, both from the standpoint of finding out that it had degraded seals.”

“But also we could capture a leak rate, which could end up being our worst case kind of leak rate, because this hardware was exposed for so long. On the second part of the testing, of course, was the thruster testing. Steve outlined that testing, but it was very stressful testing of that thruster through ATP uphill and approach and docking, some increased temperature profiles, um, and some very stressful downhill runs.”

“So all of that was done with the thruster, very heavily instrumented, which gave us a lot of. Information. From that information, and, of course, from theinspections after the test, we’ve determined two things. One is that there’s some teflon from a seal where the nto enters the thruster, and that seal was eroded.”

“And when we looked downstream from that seal, we found that material was lodged in a downstream filter. That is where the NTO goes through. Obviously, that restricts flow of Nto and may be part of the cause of the degradation that we’ve seen in flight. The bigger finding was where the nto goes through a port, to where it gets to the injector inside the thruster, and there’s a poppet that opens and closes and allows that nto to go through at the end of that poppet.”

“Very small poppet. It’s similar to the small inflation valve that you have on a car tire or a bike tire. That poppet has a Teflon seal at the end of it through the heating and the natural vacuum that occurs with the thruster firing. That poppet seal was deformed and actually bulged out a little bit, and again, was an indication that it’s restricting the nto from going through the system.

“So, again, a really good finding. When we looked at the information, we looked at the data, it really does replicate well what we’re seeing in flight. So we think these findings are very significant and are likely the root cause. Obviously, knowing root cause is what gets us to permanent fixes.”

“So there’s very strong evidence, and we’re going to continue to take that hardware apart so that we can finally prove this. Today we’re performing the final hardware inspections, and we’re doing some flow analysis through that type of valve arrangement where we have Teflon in the seal or, excuse me, Teflon in the filter, and this bulging of the Teflon at the end of the poppet.

And we’d like to see if we can model this restriction of nto and recreate what we’re seeing in flight. With all these test results we determined that we could run one more set of tests while we’re docked, and it’s really icing on the cake for us.

So, Steve talked about the one more docked hot fire test that’s going to verify all the thrusters are acceptable at the acceptable performance levels. Again, we learned something from this flight. We didn’t know that other visiting vehicles do this before they leave. And so we’re probably going to make that part of our normal regime when we are doing long duration missions.”

“Also, we’re going to do the helium manifold leak checks again. That will give us some data points on how stable the leaks are and assure there’s no additional NTO degradation. Lastly we have a very valuable guidance, navigation and control integrated performance model that was incorporating failures to answer the question, what if we’re wrong on some of these?”

“So they ran over 300 cases. And of all those cases, the results were either green, that we could return home safely or were determined to be not credible, or they had operational controls that could be applied to make sure that we returned home safely. So what’s next?”

“We’re going to share the data and flight rationale with the mission management team. We have one more meeting tomorrow to do that. We’ll use the weekend if required. We’re going to perform the stocking tests that we’ve described and then of course, there’ll be more reviews.”

“We’ll bring the complete story to the agency for the undoc review sometime next week, like Steve has outlined and then we’ll be ready to execute the last part of the mission. The last several weeks have been really helpful to understand the helium and thruster anomalies and how to address these problems for future flights.”

“That’s been the real goal here is to be able to address future flights and to gain the confidence that we needed for this mission. Weneed to take the time to get the community all this information and get back to completing the CFT mission. Our mission was to get the crew to ISS.”

“That’s been completed. Our mission was to learn from a flight test. A lot of the learning that we’ve achieved so far really, in my opinion, could only be achieved through the flight test. And now it’s time to get on with returning the crew safely. And there’s that step left to go.”

If you are interested, you can watch the entire press conference here:

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