CST-100 Starliner (тестовый пилотируемый)(Boe-CFT) – Atlas V N22(AV-085) – CCLFC SLC-41 – 05.06.2024 14:52 UTC

[ХВ.]

Если скорость  утечки увеличится в 100 раз, то с ней справятся.
Здесь много сообщалось  о новых утечках уже после стыковки, которые,  вроде как при состыкованном с МКС состоянии, ликвидировали отсечкой коллектора. Но при расстыковке  коллектор придётся  открыть. И тут вопрос. Суммарная  скорость утечки увеличилась в 100 и более раз по сравнению с той, что была перед стартом? Если "Да", то у экипажа Старлайнера проблемы.

[triage]

https://spacenews.com/fifth-helium-leak-detected-on-starliner/
Fifth helium leak detected on Starliner
Jeff Foust
June 11, 2024
...

In a June 11 statement to SpaceNews, NASA spokesperson Josh Finch said the fifth leak was detected around the time of that post-docking briefing.
"The leak is considerably smaller than the others and has been recorded at 1.7 psi [pounds per square inch] per minute," he said.

NASA was aware of one leak at the time of Starliner's June 5 launch, having been detected shortly after a scrubbed launch attempt May 6. At the time of launch, NASA and Boeing officials considered that a one-off problem, likely caused by a defect in a seal.

However, hours after launch controllers said they had detected two more leaks, one of which was relatively large at 395 psi per minute, said Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, at the briefing.

A fourth leak was found after docking, although it was much smaller at 7.5 psi per minute.
"What we need to do over the next few days is take a look at the leak rate there and figure out what we go do relative to the rest of the mission," Stich said at the briefing.

NASA closed the helium manifolds in the propulsion system after docking to stop the leaks, although they will have to be opened to use the spacecraft's thrusters for undocking and deorbit maneuvers. NASA said June 10 that engineers estimate that Starliner has enough helium to support 70 hours of flight operations, while only seven hours is needed for Starliner to return to Earth.

In addition to the helium leaks, engineers are studying one reaction control system (RCS) thruster that shut down during the spacecraft's flight to the ISS. Four other thrusters were turned off by flight software but later reenabled. An RCS oxidizer isolation valve in Starliner's service module is also not properly closed.

"We have the commercial crew program, Boeing, ISS teams all integrated, working very well together in order to come up with a forward plan for getting us in the best posture for that undock and reentry," Dina Contella, NASA ISS deputy program manager, said at a June 11 briefing about a series of upcoming spacewalks at the ISS. "The teams are still working through what are the best ways to go about testing and preparing for undock and reentry."

Those teams have some time to complete that work. NASA had initially scheduled a June 14 undocking for Starliner, but NASA said June 9 it was delaying the undocking to no earlier than June 18. That delay was to avoid a conflict with a June 13 ISS spacewalk, or EVA, by NASA astronauts Tracy Dyson and Matt Dominick.

"To have it back to back, were we had an EVA followed by undock, was not the most convenient," Contella said. There are undocking opportunities every few days, governed by the orbital mechanics that set up a landing in the southwestern United States.

...

https://blogs.nasa.gov/boeing-crew-flight-test/2024/06/14/nasa-boeing-target-june-22-for-flight-crew-test-return/
June 14, 2024

NASA and Boeing now are targeting no earlier than Saturday, June 22, to return the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test mission from the International Space Station.
...
NASA and Boeing leadership will discuss the details of the new return target, flight status, and weather considerations for landing during a pre-departure media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 18. NASA will provide additional media teleconference details soon.

"We are continuing to understand the capabilities of Starliner to prepare for the long-term goal of having it perform a six-month docked mission at the space station," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "The crew will perform additional hatch operations to better understand its handling, repeat some 'safe haven' testing and assess piloting using the forward window."

NASA and Boeing teams also prepared plans for Starliner to fire seven of its eight aft-facing thrusters while docked to the station to evaluate thruster performance for the remainder of the mission. Known as a "hot fire test," the process will see two bursts of the thrusters, totaling about a second, as part of a pathfinder process to evaluate how the spacecraft will perform during future operational missions after being docked to the space station for six months. The crew also will investigate cabin air temperature readings across the cabin to correlate to the life support system temperature measurements.
...

[ОАЯ]

"Космический корабль был весь худой – решето решетом, как говорится. Но так и было задумано. В сущности в том-то и заключалась вся штука.
И разумеется, во время полета с Ганимеда на Юпитер корабль оказался битком набитым чистейшим космическим вакуумом. А поскольку на корабле не было никаких обогревательных устройств, этот космический вакуум имел нормальную для него температуру – какую-то долю градуса выше абсолютного нуля.
И это тоже соответствовало замыслу. Такие пустяки, как отсутствие тепла и воздуха, на этом космическом корабле ни у кого не вызывали раздражения."
Нечаянная победа. Айзек Азимов

[triage]

И разумеется, во время полета с Ганимеда на Юпитер корабль оказался битком набитым чистейшим космическим вакуумом.

и разумеется корабль полность садился на Юпитере и выдерживал гигантское юпитерианское давление.
Вот только к чему это здесь

[albert]

"Космический корабль был весь худой – решето решетом, как говорится. Но так и было задумано. В сущности в том-то и заключалась вся штука.
И разумеется, во время полета с Ганимеда на Юпитер корабль оказался битком набитым чистейшим космическим вакуумом. А поскольку на корабле не было никаких обогревательных устройств, этот космический вакуум имел нормальную для него температуру – какую-то долю градуса выше абсолютного нуля.
И это тоже соответствовало замыслу. Такие пустяки, как отсутствие тепла и воздуха, на этом космическом корабле ни у кого не вызывали раздражения."
Нечаянная победа. Айзек Азимов

Вот только к чему это здесь

[Суровый Патриот]

"Космический корабль был весь худой – решето решетом, как говорится. Но так и было задумано. В сущности в том-то и заключалась вся штука.
И разумеется, во время полета с Ганимеда на Юпитер корабль оказался битком набитым чистейшим космическим вакуумом. А поскольку на корабле не было никаких обогревательных устройств, этот космический вакуум имел нормальную для него температуру – какую-то долю градуса выше абсолютного нуля.
И это тоже соответствовало замыслу. Такие пустяки, как отсутствие тепла и воздуха, на этом космическом корабле ни у кого не вызывали раздражения."
Нечаянная победа. Айзек Азимов

Вот только к чему это здесь

К тому, что достойный подражания  пример высококультурного и мегаделикатного выражения отношения к сабжу.
Впрочем,
«... но тут представил себе – в какие дебри нам придётся забираться, как трудно будет объяснить, что такое метафоры, иносказания, гиперболы, и просто ругань, и зачем всё это нужно, и какую роль здесь играет воспитание, привычки, степень развитости языка, эмоции, вкус к слову, начитанность, и общий культурный уровень, чувство юмора, такт, и, что такое юмор, и что такое такт, и, представив себе всё это, я ужаснулся и горячо сказал:
-- Вы совершенно правы, Федя!»  Сказка о тройке. АБС.

[Tagir2000]

На пресс-конференции сказали что возвращение откладывается до 26 июня

[andr59]

Чего только не бывает.

Swapna Krishna
@skrishna@wandering.shop
ЭТО ФОТО 😭

Мэтью Доминик поделился этим снимком на сайте, посвященном птицам. На нем изображен Boeing Starliner с авророй, видимой на Земле, снятой с борта МКС.

https://mastodon.social/@skrishna@wandering.shop/112637700500342621

В иллюминатор видно кресло?

[andr59]

О времени
Пишет корр. CBS  Вильям Харвуд:

William Harwood
@cbs_spacenews
Starliner CFT: Капсула Starliner компании Boeing останется пристыкованной к Международной космической станции еще на четыре дня и вернется на Землю с предрассветной посадкой в Уайт-Сэндс, Нью-Мексико, 26 июня, чтобы завершить продолжительный 20-дневный испытательный полет, первый с астронавтами на борту. Отстыковка намечена на 10:10 pm (вечера) EDT (0210 UTC) (05:10 мск) 25 июня, что позволит совершить предрассветную посадку в 4:51am (утра) (11:51 мск) 26 июня.

https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1803101399984566456

Примечание. Отстыковка в 05:10 мск 26 июня
Посадка в 11:51 мск 26 июня.

[zandr]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/boeing-crew-flight-test/2024/06/18/nasa-boeing-update-starliner-crew-flight-test-return-from-station

NASA, Boeing Update Starliner Crew Flight Test Return from Station


^{The Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.}
Teams from NASA and Boeing now are targeting no earlier than 10:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for the undocking of the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station. For the primary undocking opportunity, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first crew to fly aboard Starliner, would land about 4:51 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
...

[Patron]

Чистое ИМХО: "послевкусие" после вчерашней пресс-конференции: A) EDL (Entry & Descent & Landing): сохраняется возможность выдачи тормозного импульса тремя разными способами: 1) 4 OMAC (по одному из трёх в каждой "собачьей будке"; 2) 4 OMAC (по два из двух противоположных "собачьих будок"); 3) 8 RCS (SM Aft RCS) - то есть все 8 кормовых ДПО. По одному RCS из 8 есть замечание. Будет (был) тест этих ДПО (RCS), будут (есть)  и новые данные для анализа. B) Посадка на сушу: возможность через каждые 4 суток (с баллистикой спорить бесполезно!) C) На контроле тест двигателей RCS возвращаемого модуля (модуля экипажа) уже после расстыковки корабля со станцией, перед выдачей импульса (импульсов) для схода с орбиты. D) 5 утечек по гелию: три утечки с '"расчетным?" темпом падения давления, две "микроскопических?" - точные значения по утечкам с привязкой к конкретным магистралям не были озвучены. Ресурс по гелию 10-кратный в части времени: 70 часов (максимальная длительность предспусковых операций не превышает 7 часов). E) Погодные условия в районе посадки. Резервная дата посадки 2 июля, район Willcox Playa, AZ.

[triage]

https://spacenews.com/starliner-iss-stay-extended-to-complete-thruster-and-helium-leak-testing/
Jeff Foust
June 18, 2024
...
The one thruster that was not restored before docking showed a "strange signature" producing almost no thrust, said Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager. That thruster will no longer be used by the spacecraft during undocking and deorbiting maneuvers.

The other thrusters, including both those that malfunctioned during the approach and others that behaved normally, showed the expected profile of chamber pressures during a brief burn lasting a quarter of a second. The thrusters also operated as expected during a longer burn of 1.2 seconds each where controllers measured their performance by testing the response of the station's flight control system.

"Coming out of that, we feel very confident in the thrusters and the team is just making sure to go look at the thrusters in detail across the whole flight," he said. That includes comparing their performance to that on an uncrewed test flight in May 2022, called OFT-2, where two thrusters malfunctioned during approach but were restored before the end of the mission.

Stich said engineers are studying what caused the thrusters to go offline during the approach, which may be linked to heavy use. "We have some theories about what's going on inside the thruster where the thruster gets very hot," he said, such as high temperatures preventing proper mixing of fuel and oxidizer.

Engineers also used the thruster test to check on the five helium leaks detected in the propulsion system. In every case, he said, leak rates had gone down, in one case by 50%.

"It seems to be related to the activity of the thrusters," he said of the helium leaks. That could be linked to heat from the thrusters or sliding surfaces that wear down seals. Three of the larger leaks likely have similar causes, he noted, while two smaller ones may instead be similar to leaks seen on the OFT-2 mission.

Like the thruster tests, Stich said the reduced helium leaks give him confidence the spacecraft will be able to perform as expected during undocking and deorbiting maneuvers. "The demand on the thrusters is much, much less" in the later phases of flight, he said.

He said the helium leaks are taking place in different "doghouses" on the service module from the malfunctioning thrusters. However, he stated that the "dynamic operations" during Starliner's approach to the station may have both caused the thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.

NASA and Boeing engineers plan to continue analysis of Starliner until June 22, then focus on preparations for undocking and returning to Earth.
...

[triage]

https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/another-new-starliner-landing-date-updated-spacewalk-plans/
By Marcia Smith
...
During a media telecon today, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich stressed that the reason for delaying the return is so NASA and Boeing can learn as much as possible about the spacecraft's performance while it's in space. A lot can be done with simulations on the ground, but nothing beats real-life testing in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit.
...
Stich and Boeing Vice President and Program Manager for Commercial Crew Mark Nappi said today three of the five leaks appear similar. The other two are smaller. They don't understand the cause of the leaks or why software "deselected" the thrusters. Four of the five thrusters are back online, but one displayed unusual behavior and won't be used again.

The thrusters and the manifolds where the helium is leaking are in Starliner's Service Module, which detaches from the Crew Module and burns up during reentry. Since it doesn't come back to Earth, whatever they can learn has to be done while it's in orbit.

On Saturday, they briefly fired seven of the eight functioning RCS aft-facing thrusters and got "really good chamber pressure," Stich said. They also measured the helium leak rates and all were "going down."  They need 7 hours of helium for undocking and deorbit and have at least 70, more than enough margin. All in all, NASA and Boeing are confident Starliner can bring Butch and Suni back home safely.

Nappi and Stich stressed they have a lot of work to do to go through all the data and make whatever changes are necessary. The goal is to "get all the quirks out," Stich said. Nappi insisted they "fully plan to eliminate" what he called "these nuisances," and the longer they can stay in orbit the more data they can acquire to that end.
...
The two primary landing sites are at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with backup sites at Willcox, Arizona, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and Edwards Air Force Base, California. If the June 26 date slips four days to July 2, they'll land at Willcox.
...

[спец]

По одному RCS из 8 есть замечание. Будет (был) тест этих ДПО (RCS), будут (есть)  и новые данные для анализа.

15 июня был проведен тест 7-ми из 8-ми кормовых движков, предварительно говорили, что без замечаний.

[Patron]

По одному RCS из 8 есть замечание. Будет (был) тест этих ДПО (RCS), будут (есть)  и новые данные для анализа.

15 июня был проведен тест 7-ми из 8-ми кормовых движков, предварительно говорили, что без замечаний.

Спасибо за информацию! Да, это один из резервных (3-й возможный вариант) режимов выдачи тормозного импульса. Один кормовой RCS "вне игры".

[zandr]

https://tass.ru/kosmos/21169289

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 22 июня. /ТАСС/. Возвращение корабля CST-100 Starliner корпорации Boeing с двумя астронавтами с орбиты на Землю отложено на неопределенный срок. Об этом говорится в заявлении Национального управления США по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства (NASA).
"Руководство NASA и Boeing корректируют возвращение на Землю космического корабля Starliner", - отмечается в заявлении, опубликованном в пятницу.
...

[zandr]

Подробнее
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/06/21/nasa-boeing-adjust-timeline-for-starliner-return/

NASA and Boeing leadership are adjusting the return to Earth of the Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft with agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station. The move off Wednesday, June 26, deconflicts Starliner's undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to review propulsion system data. Listen to a full replay of the June 18 media briefing where NASA and Boeing leadership discussed the ongoing efforts.

"We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking. Additionally, given the duration of the mission, it is appropriate for us to complete an agency-level review, similar to what was done ahead of the NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 return after two months on orbit, to document the agency's formal acceptance on proceeding as planned."
...

[triage]

Подробнее
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/06/21/nasa-boeing-adjust-timeline-for-starliner-return/

...
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft remains cleared for return in case of an emergency on the space station that required the crew to leave orbit and come back to Earth.

Mission managers are evaluating future return opportunities following the station's two planned spacewalks on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, July 2.

"Starliner is performing well in orbit while docked to the space station," said Stich.
...
The crew is not pressed for time to leave the station since there are plenty of supplies in orbit, and the station's schedule is relatively open through mid-August.
...

https://spacenews.com/starliner-return-delayed-to-july/
...
The NASA statement did not disclose long Starliner could stay at the station, only that the crew "is not pressed for time to leave the station since there are plenty of supplies in orbit" and there are no other missions scheduled to go to the station through mid-August. Stich said at a briefing just after Starliner's June 6 docking that the spacecraft could remain at the station for 45 days.
...

[cross-track]

"Starliner is performing well in orbit while docked to the space station," said Stich.

Лучше не скажешь!

[amster]

Возвращение Starliner отложено до июля
Starliner return delayed to July
Jeff Foust June 21, 2024
https://spacenews.com/starliner-return-delayed-to-july/

Stich said at a briefing just after Starliner's June 6 docking
that the spacecraft could remain at the station for 45 days.

Получается максимум до 21 июля.