Question about Starliner thruster problems

On 28 June 2024, the NYT wrote:

Beginning next week, engineers will conduct ground tests at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico using a thruster identical to the ones on Starliner. The firings will reproduce the ones that Starliner performed in space.

That will probably take a couple of weeks, Mr. Stich said. “Then we’ll give engineers a chance to go look at that thruster,” he said. “This will be the real opportunity to examine a thruster, just like we’ve had in space.”

(https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/science/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts.html)

My question is this: Aren’t these the kind of tests that should have been done BEFORE even the first orbital flight test?

Where does Space begin? And should the definition be changed?

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) was founded on 14 October 1905. In the 1960’s, the FAI established the Kármán line as the beginning of space.  The line was named after Theodore von Kármán,  an engineer and physicist with interests in aeronautics and astronautics.  While von Kármán wrote about and discussed a range of values, but himself never came out and said “100 km”, that is the value which was generally agreed upon. Note that I say “generally”… NOT universally!

The Kármán line is widely recognized as the boundary of space, but not all countries or entities agree. In the United States, the United States Air Force defined space as beginning at 50 miles altitude (approximately 80 km). The FAA, in turn, agrees. Several pilots of the X-15 were awarded astronaut wings based on this definition. (A couple of X-15 flights did meet the FAI definition.)

Now comes the day when space tourism has arrived, and a couple companies are already offering sub-orbital flights to space. Blue Origin, using its New Shepard vehicle, is reaching 100+ km in altitude. Virgin Galactic and its SpaceShipTwo are reaching above 50 miles, but falling short of 100 km (approximately 62 miles). Competition leads one to declare they are the real deal, while the other also claims legitimacy.  (No matter who is “right”, either one is, in my opinion, one hell of a ride!)

There has been discussion among many (not JUST Virgin Galactic) that the definition needs to be changed, and the most common argument is for the 50 mile definition.  One argument, and a strong one at that, is that 50 miles  is the top of the mesosphere. The Kármán line, at 100 km,  is in, but not on a boundary of, the thermosphere.

Most definitions of the mesosphere gives it a lower limit of 31 miles (50 km) and an upper limit of 53 miles (85 km). In actuality, the limits and thickness have much to do with latitude and time of year.  The upper limit may actually be 53 to 62 miles (85 to 100 km), and some sources even say 74 miles (120 km).

Fifty miles altitude was chosen by the USAF is because it is at that altitude that aerodynamic lift of aircraft becomes negligible.

Here are other things to consider:
– lowest limit of low Earth orbit is about 160 km
– lowest 1 day orbit without reboost is 200 km (120 miles)
– lowest single orbit before reentry is about 125 km (80 miles)
– NASA determined that the space shuttle began to “feel” aerodynamic drag at 76 miles (122 km)
– already mentioned, lift disappears at 50 miles (80 km)
– University of Calgary in 2009 found that the behavior of ions changes at 73.3 miles (118 km)

Given that there are many ways to define the “beginning of space”, and that the mesosphere really can’t be absolutely defined, and that the Kármán line is also somewhat arbitrary, should we leave things alone (and let people argue about who is “really” an astronaut), or pick a definition and stick to it?

If we are to choose one, which one? I for one think we need a single LEGAL definition. Also, because the Kármán line is, in reality, somewhat arbitrary, it should NOT be it.  The x-15 pilots were heroes of mine, and I would hate to seem them lose their astronaut status.

But let’s be practical. The border between the mesosphere and thermosphere would be nice, but that isn’t a FIRM altitude. It COULD be as high as 120 km. The lowest possible single orbit without reentry is about 125 km.  The space shuttle began to “feel” atmospheric drag at 122 km. Ion behavior changes at 118 km.

I guess I would have to vote for 120 km (74.56 miles) to be where space should begin, at least where manned spaceflight is concerned.

Boeing Starliner software issues

Boeing experienced some software issues on its unmanned test of the CST-100 Starliner. One of the flaws prevented the Starliner from docking with the International Space Station. A second identified flaw could have potentially had catastrophic effect on the return from orbit. Boeing has been criticized for taking shortcuts in its software testing.

The response:

The program manager in charge of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule program said Friday that additional checks would have uncovered problems with the spaceship’s software that plagued the craft’s first unpiloted orbital test flight in December, but he pushed back against suggestions that Boeing engineers took shortcuts during ground testing.

Continuing:

Mulholland said Boeing engineers performed testing of Starliner’s software in chunks, with each test focused on a specific segment of the mission. Boeing did not perform an end-to-end test of the entire software suite, and in some cases used stand-ins, or emulators, for flight computers.

Hmmm… It would seem to me that not performing an end-to-end test and using stand-ins or emulators in place of actual flight computers ARE SHORTCUTS!

I am calling BS on this one…

Naming the Mars rovers

According to NASA the next Mars rover, the Mars 2020, is looking for a name.

The names under consideration are:
Endurance, Tenacity, Promise, Perseverance, Vision, Clarity, Ingenuity, Fortitude and Courage.

Previous rovers have been named Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiousity.

ALL of those are nice words, but all of them speak to human traits.  These rovers are machines, not humans. They aren’t even supporting humans. The nearest humans are over 30 million miles away. None of these fine words convey any sense of character or meaning to these marvelous machines. Why not give them names that provides some descriptive character?

My name proposal for the Mars 2020 rover? How about:
Whee! -ler?

Relativity Space and 3D printed launchers

It was recently announced by NASA that Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral (unused since 1988) is to be turned over to Relativity Space. They intend to use the complex to launch their methane/LOX Terran 1 launcher. This 2 stage rocket stands 100 feet tall and can launch a 2750 lb payload into low-Earth orbit.

But the real kicker here is that the Terran 1, engines, tanks, and other structures, will be produced by a 3D printer! 3D printing has come a long way. The Terran 1 isn’t going to be plastic… at least not pure plastic. Their printer is a metal 3D. It doesn’t actually produce pure metal, but a metal mixed with a plasticizing agent.  This leads to higher strength and greater durability.

I don’t doubt the ingenuity of the folks at Relativity Space. But maybe I’m from Missouri. I want to see this thing fly a few times before I put much stock in its reliability. In my mind, a metal/plastic mix is… well… plastic!

WorldSpaceFlight code changes

The WorldSpaceFlight pages dealing with the various flights (US, Russia, China) have undergone a behind-the-scenes update. A new class was introduced which eliminates a lot of code duplication and makes maintenance easier. Of course, this means a number of modules had to be changed to accommodate the new class structure. I might have missed something. If you notice anything “funky” about a particular page, please let me know so I can fix it. This can be something like weird characters, misplaced text, missing data, inappropriate data like a number where text is expected, or some kind of error message.

World Space Flight website pages

The World Space Flight pages are anything BUT mobile friendly! That is a sad fact.

The good news is that that will be changing. The changes will be gradual, a few MAJOR changes coming first, followed by more general changes. The first big change which will be rolled out will involve the menus on the left side of practically every page.

As it is, you have to enlarge the area just to read it, much less actually click on something. America in Space already has the beginning of that change on MOST of the pages.

Once the menus have been adapted, then there will follow changes in the content layout. Be patient. Things will be getting better.

NASA announces date maiden flight of Crew Dragon

NASA recently announced that an unmanned test of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the ISS will take place on 7 January 2019. The Boeing Starliner will have a similar test sometime in March.

If all goes well, The first manned flight of Crew Dragon will be sometime in June with the Starliner doing so in August.

But there are no guarantees. Both vessels do have issues. With the Crew Dragon, there are parachute issues and, more importantly, concerns about the high pressure helium tank. Remember the tank failure on 1 September 2016 that took out the Falcon 9 and the entire launch pad?

Personally, I am concerned about SpaceX’s procedure in which the crew is boarded BEFORE the Falcon 9 is fueled. The crew has to sit atop the rocket while fueling takes place. I know SpaceX fuels at the last minute because they use super-cooled propellants for added power. But I have to ask, is a little extra efficiency more desirable than a reduced risk to human life? For purely cargo or satellite launches, go for it. But when lives are at stake?

I like what SpaceX has accomplished. They are definitely daring. But then again, there is a fine line between between being daring and being cocky. Cocky can get you killed.

 

Did you know…

The WorldSpaceFlight site covers a lot of territory. There are shortcut ways of reaching particular sets of pages.

Americainspace.com redirects to the America in Space pages.
Russiainspace.com redirects to the Russia in Space pages.
Chinainspace.com redirects to the China in Space pages.
Canadainspace.com redirects to the Canada in Space pages.
Europeinspace.com redirects to the Europe in Space pages.
Japaninspace.com redirects to the Japan in Space pages.
And astronauts-n-cosmonauts.com redirects to the astronaut and cosmonaut Bio pages.

Other sets of pages within WorldSpaceFlight aren’t so lucky. But the big seven sets which are may save you a little bit of typing.

Dream Chaser now another ISS supply option

The Russian Progress has always been a prime ISS cargo option. Europe for a time provided the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) which flew 5 cargo missions to the ISS, the last being in July 2014.  Japan also has the H-II Transfer Vehicle, but this flies at the most maybe once per year.

Much more recent, and more frequent, are SpaceX’s Dragon and Orbital Science’s Cygnus cargo vehicles, which takes the load off the Progress.

Sierra Nevada, which once was a consideration for manned transport to the ISS with their Dream Chaser, now has a NASA contract for a cargo version of their Dream Chaser. The first two flights will be lofted by ULA in 2020 and 2021.

While Boeing and SpaceX won the nods from NASA for manned transport, Sierra Nevada continued on their own with Dream Chaser. Naturally, Sierra Nevada must now concentrate on the Dream Chaser Cargo System, I, for one,  am hoping the manned Dream Chaser stays alive and becomes a reality at some point in the future.

Face it… Dream Chaser is a beautiful craft, and the concept of gliding in for a landing at an airport near home is an improvement over a splashdown far out in the ocean or thumping down in some remote grassland.