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A Weird Final Test for Boeing’s Starliner Uncovered the Likely Cause of Several Recently-Failed Thrusters (www.inverse.com)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago

I’ll bet those astronauts are thrilled they got an extra few days in space before they have to get in an experimental Boeing vehicle and hope/pray the heat shield budget didn’t go to stock buybacks.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The testing leads the teams to believe that the thrusters are prone to overheating during docking. Higher temperatures may have caused propellant to vaporize, interrupting the mixing of oxidizer and fuel required for the thrusters to properly work, which then reduced the thruster pressure and resulted in the lower readings.

The thrusters will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. They belong to the Starliner’s service module, which the Starliner will jettison before the crew module begins landing procedures. With no hardware to examine back on Earth, these tests are the last glimpse teams will get of the thrusters of the U.S.’s new human-rated spacecraft.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

Being able to dock is one of the critical mission requirements. I wonder if this mission will be considered a successful test, clearing the way for scheduled crew rotation flights, or if NASA is going to make them do it again.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

What a strange headline. What was weird about the test? It seems a very straightforward and logical test to me?

The article also doesn't specify what was weird about it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Click Here And Try This One Weird Test That Boeing Hates On Your Malfunctioning Thrusters!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

I'm thinking it's just clickbait-y.