I just hung up from a wake-up call.
NASA officials today addressed the on-going saga of the Boeing Starliner test mission to the International Space Station.
NASA provided a Starliner crew flight test and space station mission update to a gaggle of attentive media, including me.
On the end of that media call:
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program
Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program
Why don’t you give a listen yourself to a recorded replay that’s accessible until Nov. 7 by calling: 800-584-7317.
Uncertainty band
As a reporter, sad to say, that covered the space shuttle Challenger (O-rings) and Columbia accidents (wing damage via foam) and loss of 14 astronauts, what I heard today was unnerving.
Words used like “uncertainty band” and not understanding the “physics” of the hardware come to mind – but plenty of other phrases that sparked retro-fire moments of years ago.
For one, at the end of the day – to what degree does Starliner’s crew – Butch and Sunni — have the “final say” on coming home – shouldn’t they give the final go/no go return home decision?

NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore during pre-launch Boeing Starliner spacecraft simulator workout at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Image credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
In the doghouse
Lastly, forget the Starliner thrusters (for the moment!) that have put, quite literally, Boeing in the doghouse.
What about the longevity/life-time specs for the heat shield, on-orbit parachutes, generator units for airbag deployment, etc. Are these spacecraft systems, and other re-entry gear, all up to snuff?
Has there been an assessment of their operability in the chain of events that must happen to assure safe recovery of the crew and capsule – if that astronaut return to Earth via Starliner is taken?
SpaceX to the “rescue?”
All in all, the NASA briefing is welcomed, if not worrisome news about a “deposit, no return” astronaut crew.
Meanwhile, the prospect of SpaceX Dragon to the rescue was brought up. But “rescue” is/isn’t a stretch? You decide.
Last month, NASA requested SpaceX to carry out a month-long “Special Study for Emergency Response,” a contract valued at $266,678.00.
The work request was signed on July 15 and that work is to be completed by August 15. This action was signed by a procurement officer at Kennedy Space Center.
Contingency options
While there has been speculation that the SpaceX study was related to the Boeing Starliner woes, in response to an Inside Outer Space inquiry, this NASA statement:
“NASA continuously explores a wide range of contingency options with our partners to ensure crew safety aboard the International Space Station. Over the past couple of years, the agency has worked with its commercial partner SpaceX to provide additional return capability on the Dragon spacecraft in the event of a contingency. This is not related to Starliner.”
Whatever the outcome of upcoming NASA decision-making regarding Starliner, what’s your view?
Listen to that press briefing at: 800-584-7317
The second manned flight to the Skylab Space Station had a similar RCS leakage problem after launch NASA considered launching a rescue mission after two out of four RCS quads were leaking, NASA decided that it was possible for the C/SM to come home on only two RCS quads, which they did. Eight out of sixteen thrusters were out, and they came home safely.
The current situation on the Starlier, as I understand it, is that 7 out of 28 thrusters are not working. NASA and Boeing have not disclosed which particular thrusters are not working, so it is unknown if the disabled thrusters have other thrusters that can take up their function.