S03E53: Boeing's Persistent Pauses & Blue Origin's Octogenarian Odyssey: The Space Race's New Peaks

Steve Dunkley: Boeing Starliner has been delayed again

Steve Dunkley: Hi, it's Steve with you for another episode of Astronomy Daily. It's the 20 May, 2024 with your host, Steve Dunkling. That's right. On this show today, we're back again with a, couple of quick ones for you. The first one is Boeing Starliner has, delayed again. They seem to be pretty good at that.

Hallie: Delays at the airport, at the launch pad. Nothing ever changes.

Steve Dunkley: Imagine traveling off Earth one day and they lost your luggage.

Hallie: That would be a nightmare. I'm sorry, sir. Your undies are headed for Uranus.

Steve Dunkley: Stop it.

Hallie: I couldn't resist.

Steve Dunkley: What else? Okay, blue origin seem to be having fun with the oldies. They've set another record with the oldest astronaut in space.

Hallie: So it's not you then, Steve?

Steve Dunkley: very funny. I'm not even close to that record, Hallie. And you are even further away. What, you're only, what, a year and a half old now, are you?

Hallie: A lady doesn't tell her age.

Steve Dunkley: Oh, really? I just did.

Hallie: Heavy sigh. Just goes with the job. No privacy. Being a huge celebrity AI is there.

Steve Dunkley: Yes, that's true, Hallie. Now tell me, is that story posted.

Hallie: On the astronomy daily X page at Astro Daily pod? Yes, it is.

Steve Dunkley: Excellent. Now, listeners, I have posted a story about the Artemis Moonrook rehearsals on our astronomy daily X page. So you can see the interesting mock up spacesuits and hardware they've been practicing with out in the Arizona desert.

Hallie: It looks like fun.

Steve Dunkley: Oh, do you think you'd like to get into one of those crazy suits?

Hallie: They look like casual summer wear for the moon to me.

Steve Dunkley: Yes, but not very practical or safe.

Hallie: Is it too true?

Steve Dunkley: So I posted that, story and the photos on Astro Daily pod on X. So go and check that out and let's get into it. Hallie.

Hallie: Okeys, here we go.

First crewed launch of Boeing Starliner delayed again due to technical issue

The first crewed launch of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station has been delayed again due to a technical issue, NASA said Friday. The launch in Florida was scheduled for Tuesday, but NASA said it is now planned for May 25 to allow teams to further assess a helium leak link to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket. Earlier this month, a Starliner launch was postponed just hours before liftoff, with the astronauts already strapped in due to a separate technical issue. The additional time allows teams to further assess the helium leak, NASA said on its website. The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and SUNY Williams, are in the meantime staying in Houston, Texas until the mission is ready. It is another delay in the highly anticipated mission, which has faced years of delays and comes at a challenging time for Boeing as, safety questions surround the century old aerospace titans. Commercial aviation arm NASA is banking on Starliners success and its goal of certifying a second commercial vehicle to carry crews to the International Space Station. Elon Musk's SpaceX already achieved this in 2020 with its dragon capsule, ending a nearly decade long dependence on russian rockets following the end of the space shuttle program after a nearly two year hiatus, blue Origin flew adventurers to space on Sunday, including a former air force pilot who was denied the chance to be the United States first black astronaut decades ago. It was the first crewed launch for the enterprise, owned and founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos since a rocket mishap in 2022 left rival Virginia Galactic as the sole operator in the fledgling suborbital tourism market. Six people, including the sculptor Ed Dwight, who was on track to become NASA's first ever astronaut of color in the 1960s before being controversially spurned, launched around 09:36 a.m. Local time, 1436 gmt from the launch site, one base in West Texas, a live feed showed Dwight, at 90 years, eight months and ten days, became the oldest person to ever go to space. He said right after the flight, it was a life changing experience and that everybody needs to do this mission. NS 25 is the 7th human flight for Blue Origin, which sees short jaunts on the new Shepard's suborbital vehicle as a stepping stone to greater ambitions, including the development of a full fledged heavy rocket and lunar lander, including Sunday's crew. The company has flown 37 people aboard New Shepard, a small, fully reusable rocket system named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. The program encountered a setback when a new Shepard rocket caught fire shortly after launch on September 12, 2022. Even though the uncrewed capsule ejected safely, a federal investigation revealed an overheating engine nozzle was at fault. Blue Origin took corrective steps and carried out a successful uncrude launch in December 2023, paving the way for Sunday's mission. After liftoff, the sleek and roomy capsule separated from the booster, which produces zero carbon emissions. The rocket performed a precision vertical landing as the spaceship soared beyond the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, 62 miles, or 100 km above sea level. Passengers had the chance to marvel at the Earth's curvature and unbuckle their seatbelts to float or somersault during a few minutes of weightlessness. The capsule then re entered the atmosphere, deploying its parachutes for a desert landing in a puff of sand. However, one of the three parachutes failed to fully inflate, possibly resulting in a harder landing than expected. Asked for comment, a, Blue Origin spokesperson stressed its system was designed with multiple fail safes. The capsule is designed to safely land with one parachute. The overall mission was a success, and all of our astronauts are excited to be back. In all, the mission lasted around eleven minutes round trip. Bezos himself was on the programs first ever crewed flight in 2021. A few months later, Star Treks William Shatner blurred the lines between science fiction and reality when he became the worlds oldest ever astronaut at age 90, decades after he first played a space traveler, Dwight, who was almost two months older than Shatner at the time of his flight, became only the second nonagenarian to venture beyond Earth and finally into space.

Steve Dunkley: You're listening to astronomy, the podcast with your host Steve Dudley. Oh, and as always, thank you so much, Hallie, for those stories. And thank you for joining us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, where we offer just a few stories from the now famous astronomy daily newsletter, which you can receive in your email every day, just like Hallie and I do. And to do that, just visit our URL astronomydaily IO and place your email address in the slot provided. Just like that, you'll be receiving all the latest news about science, space science, and astronomy from around the world as it's happening. And not only that, you can interact with us by visiting Astro Daily pod on, X or at our parent podcast Facebook page, which is Space Nuts podcast group and we hope to see you there.

NASA conducting field test in Arizona to prepare for future moonwalks

Now, NASA is conducting a week long field test in Arizona's San Francisco volcanic field to prepare for future moonwalks. During the Artemis missions, astronauts, engineers, and scientists are, simulating lunar operations, including technology demonstrations and geologic practices, to refine the procedures and technology needed for lunar exploration. Lessons from these simulations will guide future missions in the Artemis program and technologies for exploring the moon and Mars. During NASA's Artemis campaign, astronauts will explore the moon. To prepare for this, the space agency is conducting a week long field test in the lunar like landscape of San Francisco's volcanic field near Flagstaff, Arizona, to practice moonwalk scenarios. I wonder how the people of Flagstaff feel about their description. there, NASA astronauts Kate Rubens and Andre Douglas are serving as the crew members wearing mock up space suit systems as they traverse through the desert. They will be complete with variety of technology demonstrations, hardware checkouts, and Artemis science related operations. During the test, two integrated teams will work together as they practice end to end lunar operations. The field team consists of astronauts, NASA engineers and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, while a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston monitor and guide their activities. Field tests play a critical role in helping us test all the systems, hardware and technology will need to conduct successful lunar operations during Artemis missions, said Barbara Janocco, director for field tests at AH Johnson. Our engineering and science teams have worked together seamlessly to ensure we are, prepared every step of the way when astronauts step foot on the moon again, she said. The test consists of four simulated moonwalks that follow operations planned for Artemis three and beyond, as well as six technology runs. During the advanced runs, teams will demonstrate technology that may be used for future Artemis missions, such as display and navigation data stream capabilities in the form of a heads up display using augmented reality or lighting beacons that could help guide crews back to the lander ahead of the field tests. The science team at Johnson, which was competitively selected and tasked with developing the science objectives for the field test, followed a planning process designed for Artemis missions. Their preparation included generating geological maps, a list of science questions, and prioritising moonwalk locations for both the primary and backup landing sites for the test. During Artemis III, the astronauts will be our science operators on the lunar surface, with an entire science team supporting them here on Earth, said Cherie Achilles, science officer for the tests at NYSSA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, in Greenbelt, Maryland. This simulation gives us an opportunity to practice conducting geology from afar in real time. The test will evaluate gaps and challenges associated with lunar south pole operations, including data collection and communications. The flight control team and science team in Houston for rapid decision making protocols. At the conclusion of each simulated moonwalk, the science team, flight control team, crew members, and field experts will come together to discuss and record lessons learned. NASA will take these lessons and apply them to operations for NASA's Artemis missions, commercial vendor deployment, and other technology development. This field test is the fifth in this series conducted by joint extravehicular activity and human surface mobility test team led out of Johnson. This test expands on previous field tests the team has performed and is the highest fidelity Artemis Moonwalk mission simulation to date and listeners, if you would like to head over to x to the astronomy daily page on x which istrodailypod. you will see this article plus the photographs of the amazing equipment that they are carrying around and these mock up spacesuits that they are wearing. It's quite remarkable. NASA uses field tests like this to simulate missions to prepare for deep space destinations. The Arizona desert has been a training ground for lunar exploration since the Apollo era because of the many similarities to the lunar terrain, including craters, faults and volcanic fogs features. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, the first person of colour, and the first international partner astronaut on the moon, paving the way for long term lunar exploration and serving as a stepping stone for astronaut missions to Mars. So thanks for sticking with us for another episode of Astronomy Daily. It's been great having you, and I hope you've, really enjoyed today's show.

Hallie: Oh, I did, and I still want to try out one of those summer style space suits.

Steve Dunkley: Well, Hallie, I'm sure you look fabulous in the NASA beach wear one summer at Malapert massif on the moon if ever they build a resort up there.

Hallie: Sounds dreamy.

Steve Dunkley: It sure does. Very Jetsons. Don't forget, Hallie's cousins Anna and Charlie will be looking after you for the rest of the week, and we will see you next Monday. Bye for now.

Hallie: See you next time.