Space and Tech
SpaceX to Move Crew Dragon Splashdowns to the West Coast: A New Era in Astronaut Returns
In a significant shift for future missions to the International Space Station (ISS), SpaceX has announced that its Crew Dragon splashdowns will be moving to the U.S. West Coast following multiple incidents involving space debris. This decision marks a pivotal change in the logistics of astronaut returns, moving away from the Atlantic Ocean and potentially concluding the era of East Coast splashdowns as we know it.
The Crew-9 Mission: A Milestone Launch
Scheduled to launch no earlier than August 18, the Crew-9 mission will feature a crew of four astronauts: Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Nick Hague from NASA, alongside Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson (NASA) and Alexsandr Gorbunov from Roscosmos. This mission is poised to be the last NASA-led ISS operation to return astronauts to the Atlantic, making it a historic launch in the ongoing partnership between SpaceX and NASA.
The Debris Dilemma
SpaceX’s decision stems from repeated incidents involving the Crew Dragon’s trunk—an essential component housing fuel and electrical supplies—that has fallen back to Earth in uncontrolled descents. These debris falls have been problematic, landing in various locations ranging from Australia to North Carolina. The risk posed by such space debris not only raises safety concerns but also complicates recovery operations.
In a recent press conference, Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s Director of Dragon Mission Management, elaborated on the planned changes. “What we’ll do is implement a software change to complete the deorbit burn before jettisoning the trunk, like we did with Dragon-1,” she explained. This adjustment is intended to ensure that the trunk lands in unpopulated areas of the ocean, minimizing risks associated with falling debris.
Crew Dragon: A Safer, More Predictable Future
The shift to the Pacific coast is not merely a reaction to debris risks; it also offers strategic advantages. The West Coast tends to experience fewer extreme weather events and hurricanes, which could lead to more predictable recovery operations. This change is expected to enhance mission scheduling, allowing for smoother transitions from space to Earth.
SpaceX plans to relocate its Dragon recovery vessel to the Pacific sometime next year to facilitate this transition. The move will not only improve safety for the astronauts but also streamline the recovery process for future missions, starting potentially with Crew-10.
Looking Ahead
As SpaceX continues to innovate and adapt in the realm of human spaceflight, the decision to move Crew Dragon splashdowns to the West Coast reflects a commitment to safety and reliability. The upcoming Crew-9 mission will serve as a fitting close to an era of East Coast splashdowns while paving the way for a new chapter in astronaut return logistics.
With the space industry evolving at a rapid pace, it’s clear that adaptability will be key to ensuring the safety and success of future missions. As we look forward to the Crew-9 launch, the excitement builds not just for the mission itself but for the groundbreaking changes that lie ahead in the realm of space exploration.
Read the article on Space.com about SpaceX’s decision here: https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-9-iss-astronaut-space-junk-dragon
The science section of our news blog STM Daily News provides readers with captivating and up-to-date information on the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovations across various fields. We offer engaging and accessible content, ensuring that readers with different levels of scientific knowledge can stay informed. Whether it’s exploring advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, or environmental sciences, our science section strives to shed light on the intriguing world of scientific exploration and its profound impact on our daily lives. From thought-provoking articles to informative interviews with experts in the field, STM Daily News Science offers a harmonious blend of factual reporting, analysis, and exploration, making it a go-to source for science enthusiasts and curious minds alike. https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/
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The Boeing Starliner has returned to Earth without its crew
Boeing’s Starliner returned uncrewed after thruster issues left astronauts on the ISS longer than planned. SpaceX remains a reliable option, challenging Boeing’s standing.
– a former astronaut details what that means for NASA, Boeing and the astronauts still up in space
![Boeing Starliner](https://i0.wp.com/images.theconversation.com/files/617943/original/file-20240906-18-qe9pzk.jpg?w=740&ssl=1)
Michael E. Fossum, Texas A&M University
Boeing’s crew transport space capsule, the Starliner, returned to Earth without its two-person crew right after midnight Eastern time on Sept. 7, 2024. Its remotely piloted return marked the end of a fraught test flight to the International Space Station which left two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, on the station for months longer than intended after thruster failures led NASA to deem the capsule unsafe to pilot back.
Wilmore and Williams will stay on the International Space Station until February 2025, when they’ll return to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The Conversation U.S. asked former commander of the International Space Station Michael Fossum about NASA’s decision to return the craft uncrewed, the future of the Starliner program and its crew’s extended stay at the space station.
What does this decision mean for NASA?
NASA awarded contracts to both Boeing and SpaceX in 2014 to provide crew transport vehicles to the International Space Station via the Commercial Crew Program. At the start of the program, most bets were on Boeing to take the lead, because of its extensive aerospace experience.
However, SpaceX moved very quickly with its new rocket, the Falcon 9, and its cargo ship, Dragon. While they suffered some early failures during testing, they aggressively built, tested and learned from each failure. In 2020, SpaceX successfully launched its first test crew to the International Space Station.
Meanwhile, Boeing struggled through some development setbacks. The outcome of this first test flight is a huge disappointment for Boeing and NASA. But NASA leadership has expressed its support for Boeing, and many experts, including me, believe it remains in the agency’s best interest to have more than one American crew launch system to support continued human space operations.
NASA is also continuing its exchange partnership with Russia. This partnership provides the agency with multiple ways to get crew members to and from the space station.
As space station operations continue, NASA and its partners have enough options to get people to and from the station that they’ll always have the essential crew on the station – even if there are launch disruptions for any one of the capable crewed vehicles. Having Starliner as an option will help with that redundancy.
What does this decision mean for Boeing?
I do think Boeing’s reputation is going to ultimately suffer. The company is going head-to-head with SpaceX. Now, the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft has several flights under its belt. It has proven a reliable way to get to and from the space station.
It’s important to remember that this was a test flight for Starliner. Of course, the program managers want each test flight to run perfectly, but you can’t anticipate every potential problem through ground testing. Unsurprisingly, some problems cropped up – you expect them in a test flight.
The space environment is unforgiving. A small problem can become catastrophic in zero gravity. It’s hard to replicate these situations on the ground.
The technology SpaceX and Boeing use is also radically different from the kind of capsule technology used in the early days of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.
NASA has evolved and made strategic moves to advance its mission over the past two decades. The agency has leaned into its legacy of thinking outside the box. It was an innovative move to break from tradition and leverage commercial competitors to advance the program. NASA gave the companies a set of requirements and left it up to them to figure out how they would meet them.
What does this decision mean for Starliner’s crew?
I know Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as rock-solid professionals, and I believe their first thoughts are about completing their mission safely. They are both highly experienced astronauts with previous long-duration space station experience. I’m sure they are taking this in stride.
Prior to joining NASA, Williams was a Naval aviator and Wilmore a combat veteran, so these two know how to face risk and accomplish their missions. This kind of unfavorable outcome is always a possibility in a test mission. I am sure they are leaning forward with a positive attitude and using their bonus time in space to advance science, technology and space exploration.
Their families shoulder the bigger impact. They were prepared to welcome the crew home in less than two weeks and now must adjust to unexpectedly being apart for eight months.
Right now, NASA is dealing with a ripple effect, with more astronauts than expected on the space station. More people means more consumables – like food and clothing – required. The space station has supported a large crew for short periods in the past, but with nine crew members on board today, the systems have to work harder to purify recycled drinking water, generate oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from their atmosphere.
Wilmore and Williams are also consuming food, and they didn’t arrive with the clothes and other personal supplies they needed for an eight-month stay, so NASA has already started increasing those deliveries on cargo ships.
What does this decision mean for the future?
Human spaceflight is excruciatingly hard and relentlessly unforgiving. A million things must go right to have a successful mission. It’s impossible to fully understand the performance of systems in a microgravity environment until they’re tested in space.
NASA has had numerous failures and near-misses in the quest to put Americans on the Moon. They lost the Apollo 1 crew in a fire during a preflight test. They launched the first space shuttle in 1981, and dealt with problems throughout that program’s 30-year life, including the terrible losses of Challenger and Columbia.
After having no other U.S. options for over 30 years, three different human spacecraft programs are now underway. In addition to the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the Boeing Starliner, NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, is planned to fly four astronauts around the Moon in the next couple of years.
These programs have had setbacks and bumps along the way – and there will be more – but I haven’t been this excited about human spaceflight since I was an 11-year-old cheering for Apollo and dreaming about putting the first human footprints on Mars.
Michael E. Fossum, Vice President, Texas A&M University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The science section of our news blog STM Daily News provides readers with captivating and up-to-date information on the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovations across various fields. We offer engaging and accessible content, ensuring that readers with different levels of scientific knowledge can stay informed. Whether it’s exploring advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, or environmental sciences, our science section strives to shed light on the intriguing world of scientific exploration and its profound impact on our daily lives. From thought-provoking articles to informative interviews with experts in the field, STM Daily News Science offers a harmonious blend of factual reporting, analysis, and exploration, making it a go-to source for science enthusiasts and curious minds alike. https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/
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NASA Sets Coverage for Starliner News Conference, Return to Earth
![The American flag pictured inside the window of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA](https://i0.wp.com/stmdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/starliner-with-flag.webp?resize=740%2C416&ssl=1)
NASA will provide live coverage of the upcoming activities for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft departure from the International Space Station and return to Earth. The uncrewed spacecraft will depart from the orbiting laboratory for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 6, to begin the journey home, weather conditions permitting. NASA and Boeing are targeting approximately 12:03 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, for the landing and conclusion of the flight test.
NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.
Ahead of Starliner’s return, NASA will host a pre-departure news conference at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Program managers and a flight director will participate.
To attend the pre-departure news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111. To join the pre-departure news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA newsroom no later than two hours prior to the start of the call.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters. For the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on Aug. 24 that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, Sept. 4
12 p.m. – Starliner pre-departure news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Friday, Sept. 6
5:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
6:04 p.m. – Undocking
10:50 p.m. – Coverage resumes for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Saturday, Sept. 7
12:03 a.m. – Targeted landing
1:30 a.m. – Post-landing news conference with the following participants:
- Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida
- Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA Johnson
- John Shannon, vice president, Boeing Exploration Systems
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program
Coverage of the post-landing news conference will stream live on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
To attend the post-landing news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 12 p.m., Sept. 6. To join the post-landing news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than one hour prior to the start of the event.
See full mission coverage, NASA’s commercial crew blog, and more information about the mission at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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Space and Tech
NASA Seeks Public Insight on Future Microgravity Research and Development in Low Earth Orbit
![](https://i0.wp.com/stmdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/iss071e206291medium.webp?resize=740%2C493&ssl=1)
In an exciting move towards shaping the future of human spaceflight, NASA has officially opened the doors for feedback on its latest strategy for microgravity research in low Earth orbit (LEO). Recognizing the need to adapt and evolve alongside burgeoning commercial space endeavors, NASA is calling upon U.S. industry, academia, international partners, and other stakeholders to contribute towards refining their newly drafted goals and objectives.
On Monday, NASA shared its draft which delineates 42 key points across six primary areas: science, exploration-enabling research and technology development, commercial low Earth orbit infrastructure, operations, international cooperation, and workforce and engagement. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy emphasized the significance of building upon established spaceflight programs to expand our understanding of human life in space. As commercial platforms start to take shape, determining the right objectives is crucial for advancing future science and exploration missions.
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator at the Space Operations Mission Directorate in NASA, pointed out the importance of external input in shaping these objectives. “Feedback is essential,” he stated, explaining that this collaborative approach ensures that NASA’s strategies align well with broader industry and international goals. To facilitate this, NASA will host two invitation-only workshops in September, providing platforms for detailed discussions with international partners and representatives from the U.S. industry and academia.
NASA is not only externalizing its feedback process but also encouraging its own employees to contribute through internal channels. This inclusive strategy aims to incorporate a wide array of perspectives, essential for navigating the complexities of the ever-evolving low Earth orbit environment.
Robyn Gatens, ISS director and acting director of commercial spaceflight at NASA Headquarters, highlighted the pivotal role of international collaborations and commercial activities in using the ISS as a pioneering testbed for space innovations. The development of a comprehensive strategy will help direct the next chapter of U.S. human space exploration and bolster NASA’s ongoing commitment to leveraging microgravity for the benefit of humankind.
As NASA prepares to finalize its strategy later this year, the participation of diverse voices promises to richly inform the future of space exploration, ensuring that the benefits of space continue to grow and expand beyond our current horizons.
Stakeholders may submit comments by close of business on Friday, Sept. 27 to:
https://www.leomicrogravitystrategy.org/
The science section of our news blog STM Daily News provides readers with captivating and up-to-date information on the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovations across various fields. We offer engaging and accessible content, ensuring that readers with different levels of scientific knowledge can stay informed. Whether it’s exploring advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, or environmental sciences, our science section strives to shed light on the intriguing world of scientific exploration and its profound impact on our daily lives. From thought-provoking articles to informative interviews with experts in the field, STM Daily News Science offers a harmonious blend of factual reporting, analysis, and exploration, making it a go-to source for science enthusiasts and curious minds alike. https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
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