You probably won't believe how desperate Starliner's flight to the space station got last summer ... arstechnica.com/space/2025/0... - ThreadSky

sciguyspace.bsky.social • 9 days ago

You probably won't believe how desperate Starliner's flight to the space station got last summer ...

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/the-harrowing-story-of-what-flying-starliner-was-like-when-its-thrusters-failed/

Comments

rossbishop77.bsky.social•9 days ago

Well done on getting this first-hand account from Butch Wilmore, Eric. It's a dramatic story that reminds us of the talents and temperament of experienced test pilots. It also tells us that problems with Starliner were not underplayed. Surely it's next flight will have to be uncrewed.

perasperaadmars.bsky.social•9 days ago

As one person said of Gordon Cooper's flight, "So when kids complain that they'll never use math in real life? Remind them that it's only true if they're planning on a life that sucks."

kosmickris.bsky.social•9 days ago

Brilliant interview Eric - on what could very nearly have been the Starliner Tragedy. Amazing work by Mission Control, Butch and Suni.

wanderingincode.bsky.social•9 days ago

Something that the whole stupid stranded narrative has completely skipped past is that these astronauts are the cream of the crop. They were picked for this mission for a reason. The stranded narrative treated them like space tourists.

lutz-trav.bsky.social•9 days ago

This program needs to be scrapped. Money should be spent elsewhere and Boeing should pay in some sense.

wanderingincode.bsky.social•9 days ago

Good news, it's a fixed price contract

jimcashel.bsky.social•9 days ago

Excellent reporting Eric!

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/the-harrowing-story-of-what-flying-starliner-was-like-when-its-thrusters-failed/

theplanetaryguy.bsky.social•9 days ago

georgewherbert.bsky.social•9 days ago

A flight and ground crew seriously unsure that they could reenter and land safely is an outright disaster, whether the resets worked or not.

paulite.bsky.social•8 days ago

Amazing story!

nazarielle.bsky.social•9 days ago

Wow, that was so much closer to a true disaster than I thought. Amazing reporting, as always Eric, always a good read.

daveatcogs.bsky.social•8 days ago

Fascinating "rest of the story", Eric; thanks for the article.

FYI - there is a pin on the interactive map https://isspix.com/ISS072 for your post. Located "where the ISS was at time of your post" (just north of #AddisAbaba), the pin also as a link to your arstechnica article

aljy.bsky.social•8 days ago

Great article Eric. Brought to life the real tension as the Starliner approached the ISS with more and more control thrusters dropping out + the real risk the crew faced at the time. Thank you 😊

starbasesim.bsky.social•9 days ago

I believe it!

rocketplane.bsky.social•1 day ago

How not to overheat RCS thrusters was solved in Apollo sixty years ago. This is not advanced cutting edge technology.

rocketplane.bsky.social•2 days ago

I just listened to Eric Berger fuck up the ages on Butch and Suni. He got them backwards. Suni is 59. Butch is 62. https://www.cfpublic.org/podcast/are-we-there-yet/2025-04-08/starliners-remarkable-journey-and-the-human-factors-of-nasa-missions

gs2u.bsky.social•9 days ago

Makes one wonder why it took NASA ages to decide they shouldn't return on that rather disappointing bit of Boing hardware.

wanderingincode.bsky.social•9 days ago

They decided very quickly that they will not be returning as scheduled.

robdickinson.bsky.social•9 days ago

It wasnt a decision that needed to be made in a hurry that is ok

andromedaascendant.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yeah, imagine how it must feel when your life depends on the products and actions of a whimsical insane ketamine addict.
Oh. Sorry, America.

texasyeti63.bsky.social•9 days ago

Saw the two astronauts on Fox yesterday trying to get them to say they were stranded and left up there by the previous administration. Didn't get the audio but it looked like they weren't going for it