Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 23 deceMber 2019
Boeing capsule returns to Earth after aborted space mission

By MARCIA DUNN The capsule will return to
AP Aerospace Writer Florida's Kennedy Space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Center in two weeks for
(AP) — Boeing safely land- inspections and refurbish-
ed its crew capsule in the ments.
New Mexico desert Sun- "We've got a lot of learning
day after an aborted flight in front of us," Bridenstine
to the International Space said. "But we have enough
Station that could hold up information and data to
the company's effort to where we can keep mov-
launch astronauts for NASA ing forward in a very posi-
next year. tive way.
The Starliner descended Despite its own setbacks,
into the Army's White Sands SpaceX remains in the lead
Missile Range in the frigid in NASA's commercial crew
predawn darkness, end- program.
ing a two-day demo that SpaceX's Dragon crew
should have lasted more capsule successfully com-
than a week. A trio of red, pleted its first orbital demo
white and blue parachutes last March. While the flight
popped open and airbags to the space station went
also inflated around the well, the capsule explod-
spacecraft to ease the im- ed a month later on a test
pact. stand at Cape Canaveral.
"We pinpoint landed it," If a launch abort test goes
NASA Administrator Jim well next month, SpaceX
Bridenstine said at a post- could start launching NASA
landing briefing. astronauts by spring and
The successful return end a nearly nine-year gap
capped a rocky start to a The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is seen after it landed in White Sands, N.M., Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. in flying people from Cape
mission that was supposed Associated Press Canaveral.
to include a docking with As its space shuttle pro-
the space station. Manag- — next to a U.S. flag waving congratulate the team. Rosie the Rocketeer — af- gram was winding down,
ers will review all the data from a recovery vehicle. The newly returned Star- ter Rosie the Riveter from NASA looked to private in-
before deciding whether to The astronauts assigned liner also got a personal- World War II — rode in the dustry to take over cargo
do another test flight or go to the first Starliner crew — ized name: Calypso, after commander's seat. Also and crew deliveries to the
straight to flying astronauts, two from NASA and one Jacques Cousteau's boat. returning were holiday space station. SpaceX
said NASA's Steve Stich. from Boeing — were part of The capsule's first trip presents, clothes and food kicked off supply runs in
After seeing this first test the welcoming committee. to space began with a that should have been de- 2012. Two years later, NASA
flight cut short and the "A beautiful soft landing," smooth rocket ride from livered to the space station hired SpaceX and Boeing
space station docking said NASA astronaut Mike Cape Canaveral on Friday. crew. to ferry astronauts to the or-
canceled because of an Fincke. "Can't wait to try it But barely a half hour into Even though not all goals biting lab.
improperly set clock on the out." the flight, it failed to fire its were met including a sta- SpaceX got $2.6 billion un-
capsule, Boeing employ- It was the first American- thrusters to give chase to tion docking, "in my eyes, it der NASA's commercial
ees were relieved to get made capsule designed the space station and end- was a huge success," said crew program, while Boe-
the Starliner back. for astronauts to make a ed up in the wrong orbit. Boeing flight director Rich- ing received more than $4
Recovery teams cheered ground landing after return- The problem was with the ard Jones. billion.
as they watched the cap- ing from orbit. NASA's early Starliner's internal clock: It There were no parachute The goal was to launch
sule drift down through the crew capsules — Mercury, did not sync up with the At- problems this time. Last NASA astronauts by 2017.
air and make a bull's-eye Gemini and Apollo — all las V rocket and was off by month, only two para- Because of delays, NASA is
landing. The touchdown had splashdowns. SpaceX's 11 hours, according to Boe- chutes deployed during an looking to buy another two
was broadcast live on Dragon capsule, which ing's Jim Chilton. atmospheric test because seats on Russian rockets in
NASA TV; infrared cameras made its orbital debut last The capsule burned so workers failed to connect a 2020 and 2021 to guaran-
painted the descending winter with a test dummy, much fuel trying to orient it- pin in the rigging. tee a continuing U.S. pres-
capsule in a ghostly white. also aims for the ocean at self in orbit that there wasn't "We didn't do everything ence on the space station.
As the sun rose, close-up mission's end. enough left for a space sta- we wanted to do, but we Even when private compa-
views showed the large Minutes after touchdown, tion rendezvous. Flight con- don't see anything wrong nies are regularly carrying
white and black capsule top NASA and Boeing of- trollers tried to correct the with this spaceship right up astronauts for NASA, the
upright — with hardly any ficials poured into Mis- problem, but between the now," despite the timing er- space agency always will
scorch marks from re-entry sion Control in Houston to spacecraft's position and ror, Chilton said. He apolo- reserve a seat for a Russian
a gap in communications, gized to the six space sta- in exchange for a free U.S.
their signals did not get tion residents for not deliv- seat on a Soyuz.
through. They later man- ering their Christmas pres- Over the years, these Soyuz
aged to reset the clock. ents. rides have cost NASA up to
Boeing is still trying to fig- Boeing had been shooting $86 million apiece, with the
ure out how the timing er- for its first astronaut launch tab totaling in the billions.
ror occurred. The mission in the first half of 2020. This A recent audit by NASA's
lasted nearly 50 hours and capsule is supposed to be inspector general found a
included 33 orbits around recycled for the second Starliner seat will cost slight-
the Earth, about 100 orbits flight with crew; each Star- ly more than that, with a
fewer than planned. liner is built to fly in space 10 Dragon seat going for just
A test dummy named times. over half the price.q