Starliner launch set for Friday, December 20
Capitalism in space: The first orbital flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, remains on target for launch this coming Friday, December 20, 2019.
The launch is presently set for 6:36 am (Eastern), with a docking at ISS early the next day.
NASA will be broadcasting the launch and docking.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Capitalism in space: The first orbital flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, remains on target for launch this coming Friday, December 20, 2019.
The launch is presently set for 6:36 am (Eastern), with a docking at ISS early the next day.
NASA will be broadcasting the launch and docking.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Since this is joyously a competition between two commercial companies, it is worth noting that SpaceX did their first flight of Crew Dragon to the ISS March 2019, almost 10 months ago.
Context is helpful.
If this Russian-Powered Atlas 5 screws the pooch, well then, back to the drawing board for a couple of years of review, until the NASA paper reports generated equals the weight of the Starliner.
Meanwhile, SpaceX could totally resupply our ISS without any Soyuz help, and is long overdue to fly crews to the outpost.
Boeing has enough on its plate with the 737.
Also, why are they going to launch with the capsule abort system inert?
When/if the Atlas CATO’s (catastrophic take-off), what better endorsement for the Starliner than a successful escape?
Can the Starliner also fit on a Falcon 9?
With the Atlas 5, it appears they can make it fit on anything. (what an ugly rocket!) ;-)
Captain Emeritus, Atlas 5 has a better reliability record than Falcon 9. Just saying.
Yes, it is ugly.
I’d fly on a Falcon 9 any day in preference to an Atlas 5. Who needs large firecrackers attached to the first stage?
Mike Boggett, Why the preference ? Just saying you’ll take one over the other is not informative.
You can’t turn the solids off. Just like the Shuttle. Bad idea for piloted rockets. And my name is Borgelt.
OK, Diane, you got me.
Latest data I can find shows 80 Atlas 5 launches
With 79 successes for a 98.75% rate.
Also, 80 Falcon 9 launches with 78 successful
flights equals a 98.5% rate.
UAL has to buy it’s success from the Ruskies
and charges anywhere from $120-150million per expendable flight. (Depending on configuration)
Falcon 9 has LANDED 47 of its boosters so far.
(and all American made)
I can get you a good deal on a slightly scorched, flight proven Falcon 9 for roughly $50 million for your next project.
A far better use of American taxpayer dollars.
I will not do any business with communists or socialists.
Let them thrive in their own repressive regimes.
Col Beausabre,
I think Mr. Borgelt would agree that our loss of the Challenger and 7 national treasures in 1986
is reason enough, to never again to risk American lives on solid rocket boosters.
Exactly.