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Comment by cryptonector | Hacker News Reader

Is it a hardware feature that's missing, or software? If the latter, can't it be restored? If the former, or if the latter but it can't be restored, is the docking station where Starliner is berthed going to remain unavailable forever? There are only TWO NASA docking stations. There are a bunch of Russian docking stations.

There's a hard rule for ISS that no astronaut may be on board the ISS without a corresponding return vehicle being docked at all times. This rule is effectively being violated for the two Starliner astronauts because they can't return on Starliner. And now no new Crew Dragons may berth without the current crew returning on the currently berthed Crew Dragon.

What a mess.

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According to the arstechnica article linked by bell-cot it's a software issue:

"Well-placed sources said the current flight software on board Starliner, as configured, cannot perform an automated undocking from the space station and entry into Earth’s atmosphere. It will take about four weeks to update and validate the software for an autonomous return, should NASA decide it would be safer to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth inside a Crew Dragon spacecraft.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/nasa-confirms-slip-of-...

Thanks! That's comforting.

Is that comforting? That the capsule made it this far through “rigorous tests” overseen by a buddy system, without being able to perform a core function in the mission? I know that undocking is not easy, but it’s also the most steady-state part of the whole mission?

It seems to me like one more blatant shortcut9 that regulators permitted, and Boeing leadership check the box on a form saying “capability complete”

It's a software configuration as I understand it. The software itself is capable of the automated undocking, but it will need to be reconfigured to allow it.

ISS operations have very strict requirements about safety and especially about avoiding collisions with the station under any circumstance. There are also differences in requirements for crewed and uncrewed flights. For these reasons it makes sense that the configurations are different and would need to be updated if they switch to fully automated.

NASA has been pretty clear that Starliner could be used as an emergency escape if necessary. That leads me to think the concern is more about collision with the ISS that with the ability to re-enter safely.

Not an expert on this, but I would suspect a collision with the ISS might also have an effect on Starliner's ability to re-enter safely.

Maybe Boeing should send up the CEO with his golden parachute.

The Boeing ceo did resign yesterday fwiw.

I’m not seeing news about that when I search for it. Got a source?

I'm seeing plenty of articles about it. Here's one: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/08/new-boeing-ceo-kelly-ortberg...

That's news that Ortberg is succeeding Dave Calhoun. Boeing announced that Calhoun would step down back in March.

> That leads me to think the concern is more about collision with the ISS that with the ability to re-enter safely.

I don't end up thinking that. To completely make up a number, if there was a capsule with a 5% chance of failure to reenter it would still be a valid emergency escape.

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