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Boeing's Starliner


Kryten

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2 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Probably too busy flying the spacecraft, only Jeb could recover from multiple thruster failures and still successfully dock.

Let's see.

Its a comeback after years of failure.

The rocket has asymmetrical solid booster.

The rocket has 3 different diameters.

The service module has RCS spammed everywhere.

The capsule is literally a Mk 1-3 command pod.

4 thrusters failed along the way but it is still there.

 

Yup, Jeb is definitely doing the flying.

 

(stolen joke)

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Well, that explains all the failures.

It is universally agreed that Jeb's Junkyard is one the best examples of the triumph of unwavering motivation in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The unassuming junkyard where it is said some of Kerbalkind's first steps towards the depths of space have been taken, has now become a much larger junkyard, as it had to expand its facilities to accommodate the ever greater demand for spacecraft components. Jeb's Junkyard has become one of Kerbin's most iconic names, becoming far more than just a beloved brand. It now stands proudly as a symbol of the unstoppable Kerbal drive towards attempting the impossible while grossly underestimating the gravity of the situation.

 

You'll have to excuse the spoilers, posting via mobile is still broken and barely half functional.

Spoiler
Spoiler

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, Ultimate Steve said:

Let's see.

Its a comeback after years of failure.

The rocket has asymmetrical solid booster.

The rocket has 3 different diameters.

The service module has RCS spammed everywhere.

The capsule is literally a Mk 1-3 command pod.

4 thrusters failed along the way but it is still there.

 

Yup, Jeb is definitely doing the flying.

 

(stolen joke)

"Who made those valves?"

"Uh let's see... it says 'found lying on the side of the road'"

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The problem is: is this ship certified as crew-rated?

If no, it's a problem to mention its commander.

P.S.
In the next flight it will have crew of four.

P.P.S
Boeing should select Jebediah, William, Robert, and Valentina for the first human flight, too.

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Part of this test was that they put the ship into dormancy as if it was going to stay there for months, then brought it back up again, right? So I guess that must have already happened if they are getting ready to send it back.

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They should check the stage sequence before undocking.

As two engines weren't ignited, maybe they are set too high in stage steps, and thus may switch on together with parachute (that's very usual as we know).

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45 minutes ago, mikegarrison said:

Part of this test was that they put the ship into dormancy as if it was going to stay there for months, then brought it back up again, right? So I guess that must have already happened if they are getting ready to send it back.

Other than the thruster issues (which unfortunately are on the SM, so they won't be able to take them apart) this seems to have gone pretty well. The thermal issues seemed manageable, and I bet that's an easy fix for the next flight.

Fingers crossed for undocking, then EDL tomorrow.

Undocking at 1:36 CDT tomorrow, landing at 5:49 CDT.

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He’ll have one star now!

This makes me wonder about another application of commercial space, although it’s even more frivolous than space tourism: how much would people be willing to pay for a space-flown Jeb plushie? And how much does it cost to get a Jeb plushie to orbit and back? I suppose if there is spare capacity on a mission it’s basically free (just handling labor), but for a pure promotion mission, just how many Jebs (and Bills, and Bobs, and Valentinas) could they stuff aboard a dedicated, life-leader Dragon. I could imagine tenth flight for the Dragon, twentieth for the booster…

That would establish a minimum cost, but I wonder how high an auction could go, especially for this first one….

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45 minutes ago, mikegarrison said:

Yes! That will solve the thruster issues, because now he'll be able to use SAS.

Like SpaceX putting a 4 leaf clover on their mission patches, maybe Boeing should always include Jeb.

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1 hour ago, StrandedonEarth said:

He’ll have one star now!

This makes me wonder about another application of commercial space, although it’s even more frivolous than space tourism: how much would people be willing to pay for a space-flown Jeb plushie? And how much does it cost to get a Jeb plushie to orbit and back? I suppose if there is spare capacity on a mission it’s basically free (just handling labor), but for a pure promotion mission, just how many Jebs (and Bills, and Bobs, and Valentinas) could they stuff aboard a dedicated, life-leader Dragon. I could imagine tenth flight for the Dragon, twentieth for the booster…

That would establish a minimum cost, but I wonder how high an auction could go, especially for this first one….

Well, I'm simply going to bring mine with me!

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1 hour ago, tater said:

Other than the thruster issues (which unfortunately are on the SM, so they won't be able to take them apart)...

I wonder whether Boeing and NASA discussed removing one of the bad thrusters and returning it in the capsule so it can be studied back on Earth. It's likely the idea was briefly considered and ruled infeasible. I wonder which factor(s) are insurmountable:

EVA risks to the crew. Risks of thruster removal causing other problems. The thruster might be impossible to remove in space. Not enough time to plan such an operation. Various ISS safety policies. Crew isn't trained to do Starliner disassembly. Unique tools needed aren't available on ISS.

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2 minutes ago, DeadJohn said:

I wonder whether Boeing and NASA discussed removing one of the bad thrusters and returning it in the capsule so it can be studied back on Earth. It's likely the idea was briefly considered and ruled infeasible. I wonder which factor(s) are insurmountable:

EVA risks to the crew. Risks of thruster removal causing other problems. The thruster might be impossible to remove in space. Not enough time to plan such an operation. Various ISS safety policies. Crew isn't trained to do Starliner disassembly. Unique tools needed aren't available on ISS.

If this were a multiple choice quiz, I would be selecting "all of the above".

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2 minutes ago, DeadJohn said:

I wonder whether Boeing and NASA discussed removing one of the bad thrusters and returning it in the capsule so it can be studied back on Earth. It's likely the idea was briefly considered and ruled infeasible. I wonder which factor(s) are insurmountable:

EVA risks to the crew. Risks of thruster removal causing other problems. The thruster might be impossible to remove in space. Not enough time to plan such an operation. Various ISS safety policies. Crew isn't trained to do Starliner disassembly. Unique tools needed aren't available on ISS.

Q: “Can we do it?”

A: ”Only if you have a cutting torch onboard…”

Q: “So that’s a ‘no’ then…”

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2 hours ago, DeadJohn said:

I wonder whether Boeing and NASA discussed removing one of the bad thrusters and returning it in the capsule so it can be studied back on Earth. It's likely the idea was briefly considered and ruled infeasible. I wonder which factor(s) are insurmountable:

EVA risks to the crew. Risks of thruster removal causing other problems. The thruster might be impossible to remove in space. Not enough time to plan such an operation. Various ISS safety policies. Crew isn't trained to do Starliner disassembly. Unique tools needed aren't available on ISS.

Probably no way that thing could be serviced in EVA. 

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