Data collection ongoing to understand causes of helium leaks and thruster malfunctions during first crewed flight in early June.
NASA and Boeing completed ground tests on Starliner's problematic thrusters at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
SpaceX completed eight operational missions to ISS with Crew Dragon spacecraft, more than four years ahead of Boeing.
Starliner launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on top of Atlas V rocket on June 5, aiming to be last step before NASA signs off on Boeing for crewed flights.
Tests included over 1,000 pulses and aggressive tests to replicate higher thermal conditions.
NASA and Boeing have completed ground tests on the problematic thrusters of the Starliner spacecraft, which has been docked at the International Space Station since late June due to helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.
The tests were conducted at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where engineers simulated launch-to-docking firing sequences with over 1,000 pulses. Additional aggressive tests were also run to replicate the higher thermal conditions experienced in-flight.
Boeing and NASA teams are now reviewing all the data collected from these tests to better understand what went wrong during Starliner's first crewed flight in early June. However, a return date for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams has not been set yet.
The Starliner spacecraft, which is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on June 5. The mission aimed to be the last step before NASA signs off on Boeing to begin the first of six contracted flights to ferry crew to and from the ISS.
SpaceX, which is more than four years ahead of Boeing's efforts as part of the program, has already completed eight operational missions to the ISS with its Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The Boeing Starliner's first crewed flight to the International Space Station had issues with helium leaks and thrusters and lasted longer than planned as astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remain on the ISS.
No return date for Starliner astronauts has been set, but they can stay in space for more weeks if necessary.
The service module of the Starliner, which contains malfunctioning equipment, will be detached and burn up in the atmosphere upon its return.
Accuracy
Boeing and NASA must decide whether to fix the Starliner or cut their losses.
NASA faces a conundrum regarding access to low Earth orbit.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author expresses his opinion that the Starliner is a 'problem-prone, clunky spacecraft' and suggests that Boeing has seen better days as an aerospace company. He also implies that NASA made a mistake by allowing humans to fly on the Starliner before its issues were resolved. These opinions are not based on facts but rather the author's interpretation of the situation. The article also mentions SpaceX's issues with the Falcon 9 second stage, which is irrelevant to Boeing's Starliner and its current predicament. This is an example of sensationalism as it attempts to create a sense of urgency and drama by bringing up unrelated issues.
Neither the crewed version of the Dream Chaser nor the Gaganyaan solves NASA’s immediate problem.
The problems with the Starliner, which should have been caught and corrected long before human beings were allowed to fly on it, suggest that Boeing has seen better days as an aerospace company.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes several appeals to authority and uses inflammatory rhetoric throughout the article. He states that 'the problems with the Starliner suggest that Boeing has seen better days as an aerospace company capable of creating flight-ready hardware.' This is an appeal to authority based on the author's opinion, rather than facts or evidence. He also uses inflammatory language when he describes Russia's actions towards the West and calls it 'Russia's bloody war of aggression in Ukraine'. Additionally, he makes several statements that are not directly related to logical fallacies but may be considered bias. For example, he states that 'No one should want to go hat in hand to the Russians for rides on the Soyuz again.' This statement is an expression of opinion and does not provide any evidence or reasoning.
]The problems with the Starliner suggest that Boeing has seen better days as an aerospace company capable of creating flight-ready hardware.[
