SpaceX to return Boeing's Starliner astronauts from space next year, NASA says

The Manila Times

SpaceX to return Boeing's Starliner astronauts from space next year, NASA says  Two NASA astronauts who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule will need to return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle early next year, NASA chief Bill Nelson said on Saturday (August 24), deeming issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to carry its first crew home.  The agency's decision, tapping Boeing's top space rival to return the astronauts, is one of NASA's most consequential in years. Boeing had hoped its Starliner test mission would redeem the troubled program after years of development problems and over $1.6 billion in budget overruns since 2016.  NASA / REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #worldnews  #nasa

Transcript

00:00NASA has decided that Butch and Sonny will return with Crew-9 next February and

00:10that Starliner will return uncrewed and the specifics in the schedule will be

00:18discussed momentarily. Spaceflight is risky even at its safest and even at

00:31its most routine and a test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine and

00:42so the decision to keep Butch and Sonny aboard the International Space Station

00:48and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is a result of a commitment to

00:55safety. Our core value is safety and it is our North Star. I have just talked to

01:08the new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. I have expressed this to him. I told him

01:17how well Boeing worked with our team to come to this decision and he expressed

01:28to me an intention that they will continue to work the problems once

01:37Starliner is back safely. I talked with Butch and Sonny both yesterday and today

01:42they support the agency's decision fully and they're ready to continue this

01:46mission on board ISS as members of the Expedition 71 crew. I wouldn't

01:51necessarily call it trust. I would call it a technical disagreement where we get

01:56a group of engineers together and they disagree on the risk level of what

02:01could potentially happen to the thrusters. Boeing did a great job

02:05building a model. Now the question is is that model good enough to predict

02:09performance for a crew? Trust is a two-way street and it's built upon a

02:16relationship and I think as indicated just an hour ago by the new CEO of

02:23Boeing that they intend to move forward and fly Starliner in the future which is

02:31very important to NASA that we have two human rated vehicles. I think you should

02:39understand the the trust is two ways.

03:10Lots of cheering here in the room. Big hugs. Sonny William coming through in her

03:18blue flight suit and followed shortly behind by commander of Starliner Butch

03:24Wilmore now back on the space station. The third visit for both astronauts and

03:29the first crewed flight test of the Starliner spacecraft. I feel confident

03:35that if we had to if there was a problem with the International Space

03:39Station we can get in our spacecraft and we can undock talk to our team and

03:44figure out the best way to come home. Yeah we've like I said we've practiced a

03:48lot so I have a feeling I have a real good feeling in my heart that this

03:52spacecraft will bring us home no problem.

04:05you

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