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Boeing delays by months test flights for U.S. human space program: sources
Boeing Co has delayed by at least three months its first uncrewed flight to the International Space Station under NASA's human spaceflight program, and pushed its crewed flight until November, industry sources said on Wednesday.
Reuters reported last month that NASA has warned Boeing and rival contractor SpaceX of design and safety concerns the companies need to address before flying humans to space.
Boeing's first test flight was slated for April but it has been pushed to August, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The new schedule means that Boeing's crewed mission, initially scheduled for August, will be delayed until November.
Also at Spaceflight Insider, Astronomy Magazine, and BGR.
Related:
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SpaceX and Boeing Not Ready to Transport Astronauts to the International Space Station
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NASA Prepared to Purchase Two More Soyuz Seats From Roscosmos
SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Gets NASA Thumbs-Up for March Test Flight
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(Score: 3, Funny) by EJ on Friday March 22 2019, @05:21AM (3 children)
Maybe they're updating the software to uninstall HAL 9000's flight control module.
(Score: 4, Funny) by choose another one on Friday March 22 2019, @09:48AM
Nah, they're just revising the manuals to remove all references to it, this will make training easier, cheaper and most importantly, quicker - all hail the god of schedule over safety and any engineer who wants to disagree can go sit outside in the freezing cold on his o-ring until they change their mind.
This is stuff that (probably) won't ever be needed anyway so pilots/astronauts don't need to know, repeat the corporate mantra "it's only there because of certification requirements".
Nothing to see here, just a smoking crater, please move along and take your seats for the flight...
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Friday March 22 2019, @02:12PM
Famous quotes:
"It is now safe to turn off your computer." -- HAL 9000
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 2) by driverless on Saturday March 23 2019, @02:02AM
In the light of the 737 MAX fiasco, that headline is just a late-nite TV comedy joke that writes itself...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 22 2019, @05:48AM (1 child)
Those stodgy NASA guys should just let Boeing and SpaceX self-certify their safety systems. Get with the times. If it's good enough for you and me, why do astronauts need higher standards? We are paying them to take risk.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday March 22 2019, @02:13PM
No. More regulation needed.
There is no problem so great that it cannot be solved with more government regulation. And a side order of more taxes.
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday March 22 2019, @06:19AM (2 children)
If they slip again, and let SpaceX fly a crew before they fly an empty demo, it's gonna be really ugly PR...
A bit like the SLS vs BFR vs Blue Origin problem ... Who's the expensive incumbent who's selected because of their ability to deliver ?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 22 2019, @06:45AM (1 child)
As long as they meet certain milestones eventually, they will get their Starliner billions. PR doesn't matter.
The SLS cash cow is more sacred. Slip ups or failure could let BFR displace SLS and cause ULA to lose many billions. That leaves Vulcan, which could be outperformed by Blue Origin's New Glenn. SpaceX and Blue Origin can offer enough redundancy so that ULA is unneeded.
(Score: 2) by choose another one on Friday March 22 2019, @10:02AM
If they slip too far there won't be an ISS to fly to...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 22 2019, @12:49PM
hmmm one starts to wonder what other things might be affected ...
supposedly a "outsider" would start making jet-liners and the only thing keeping the incumband manufacturers in play
is that they have a leg up in the certification marathon with local minefields and hurdles and no where else?
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Friday March 22 2019, @02:27PM (1 child)
Boeing needs to improve Starliner safety up to the safety level of the 737 MAX.
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday March 22 2019, @11:22PM
They're changing the name of the Maneuver Capsule Attaching to Station code.
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Friday March 22 2019, @05:07PM
Apparently someone at Boeing realized that having undocumented behaviours in their equipment might be a bad thing, and is now hurriedly rewriting the manuals?