Boeing, NASA zero in on fix for Starliner capsule’s valve problem
[ad_1]
The valve problem that has kept Boeing’s Starliner astronaut taxi grounded for the past 10 weeks may soon be solved.
Starliner was supposed to launch Aug. 3 on Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2), a crucial uncrewed demonstration mission to the International Space Station for NASA. But standard checkouts just a few hours before liftoff revealed that 13 of the 24 oxidizer valves in the propulsion system in Starliner’s service module were stuck, nixing that plan.
An investigation soon identified the likely root cause of the valve problem — an interaction between oxidizer and water (likely humidity from the atmosphere), which produced nitric acid and other corrosive agents. And a potential fix is now on the horizon, NASA officials and Boeing representatives said during a press conference on Tuesday (Oct. 19).
In photos: Boeing’s Starliner OFT-2 mission in pictures
That fix involves installing heaters in the valve system to break up corrosion products, and adding desiccant to soak up moisture as well. This double-barreled approach allowed team members to get 12 of the 13 affected valves functioning again, Michelle Parker, chief engineer at Boeing Space and Launch, said during Tuesday’s briefing. And the team didn’t go all-out on the lone remaining stuck valve, she added; it’s been set aside for further verification work.
“We still have to finalize all this as we proceed through flight rationale and such,” Parker said. “But we believe that will be our remediation path.”
Two of the affected valves have been removed from the service module, and a third will be taken off soon, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said during Tuesday’s briefing. Those three valves will be sent to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and put into a computed tomography scanner, which will allow team members to get a look at their insides. The valves will then be taken apart to verify the cause of the stickiness problem. NASA is also doing some valve research at its White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, Stich added.
With this work ongoing, NASA and Boeing have not set a new target launch date for OFT-2. But the current goal is to lift off in the first half of 2022, John Vollmer, vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, said during Tuesday’s briefing. That timeline is in keeping with an estimate announced by NASA earlier this month.
Boeing plans to use the same service module and the same crew module that were stacked on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in early August, Vollmer added.
In 2014, Boeing signed a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA to ferry agency astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX signed a similar deal at the time and has already launched two operational crewed missions to the orbiting lab, with a third set to lift off later this month.
Starliner can’t fly astronauts until it aces OFT-2. As the mission name suggests, the coming flight will be Boeing’s second crack at an uncrewed visit to the space station. During the first attempt, in December 2019, Starliner suffered a number of software glitches and got stranded in the wrong orbit for a meetup with the orbiting lab.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
[ad_2]
Original Post
Good write-up, I am regular visitor of one’s web site, maintain up the nice operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
What i do not realize is in truth how you’re now not really much more neatly-favored than you might be now. You’re so intelligent. You know thus significantly when it comes to this topic, produced me personally consider it from so many various angles. Its like men and women are not interested until it is something to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs excellent. At all times deal with it up!
I conceive this website contains some real great info for everyone. “There is nothing so disagreeable, that a patient mind cannot find some solace for it.” by Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
Hi I am so happy I found your weblog, I really found you by error, while I was researching on Aol for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a tremendous post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the superb work.
How Does Sugar Defender Work & What are the Expected Results? Sugar Defender is a liquid supplement.
I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to achieve my goals. I definitely love reading everything that is written on your site.Keep the aarticles coming. I loved it!
You have brought up a very excellent details , thankyou for the post.
I really wanted to construct a note to be able to appreciate you for these precious ideas you are sharing at this site. My prolonged internet investigation has at the end of the day been rewarded with reasonable strategies to go over with my company. I would assert that many of us website visitors actually are very much lucky to exist in a decent site with many lovely professionals with beneficial things. I feel quite fortunate to have used the web site and look forward to some more excellent times reading here. Thank you once again for everything.
Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this site. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across. What an ideal website.
What Is Exactly ZenCortex? ZenCortex is an optimal hearing function support
I’ve been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this site. Studying this information So i am glad to show that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I most indubitably will make sure to do not omit this web site and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
There are definitely plenty of particulars like that to take into consideration. That may be a great level to deliver up. I provide the thoughts above as general inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you deliver up the place an important thing will likely be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged round things like that, but I am sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Each girls and boys really feel the impact of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
Great tremendous things here. I am very satisfied to peer your post. Thank you a lot and i’m taking a look forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂