In this episode, we prepare for next week's human space launch of Boeing's Starliner, the first Crewed mission for Altas V & the CST-100 spacecraft! This is the culmination of the investment NASA & US taxpayers put into the Commercial Crew Program. Two human-rated spacecraft were given contracts to test & evenutally fly human beings to the ISS. SpaceX Crew Dragon already flies to the ISS regularly with Astronauts & supplies, and Boeing's Starliner is ready to have its first crewed mission!

It's been a long road, and much controversy over the years - even beginning at the start of Commercial Crew when only two companies were chosen there was a rift that unfolded in the space industry. I share my thoughts on the whole endeavor in the hopes that we can learn something and be better off for the future.

It's also a good time to contemplate how grateful we should be that the US is close to having full redundency for human launch capability to the ISS. In a world where not long ago we relied fully on Russia's Soyuz to send humans to the ISS, what would have happened if NASA and the US never invested in American Spacecraft that launch on American soil in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine? 5-10 years ago, this would have meant the end of the ISS.

Let us know what YOU think! We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]

Topics from the episode:

spacecraft, boeing, space, astronauts, spacex, iss, commercial crew program, launch, humans, atlas, crew, 3d printing, orbit, soyuz, nasa

SOURCES:

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2024/may/rocket-launch-ula-boeing-crewed-flight-test-cft

https://www.space.com/boeing-starliner-cleared-launch-crew-flight-test

https://www.space.com/news/live/boeing-starliner-oft-2-live-updates

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/boeings-starliner-makes-progress-ahead-of-flight-test-with-astronauts/

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/what-you-need-to-know-about-nasas-boeing-orbital-flight-test-2-2/

The 'Topics from the episode' above and the timestamps below for the episode were generated using AI (otter.ai) by processing the audio file.

Timestamps:

00:00 Boeing's upcoming crewed flight test of the CST-100 spacecraft. 

05:04 NASA's Boeing Starliner spacecraft challenging road to the ISS with Crew   11:51 NASA's new human-rated spacecraft, Boeing Starliner, and its significance for America's space program.         

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Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)!

Spread Love, Spread Science

Alex G. Orphanos

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