Things are not going well aboard Boeing’s besieged Starliner spacecraft to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The vehicle, which is expected to be ready by now, is facing various problems.
The company, which plans to conduct a major flight test on May 19, is in a conflict with Boeing’s supplier over defective fuel valves, according to the new report. This shows us that the spacecraft may have a new design before it is ready for flight.
Boeing Vice President gives the green light for design change to valves
SpaceX and Boeing are tasked with building a spacecraft to deliver the United States to the ISS and save it from relying on Russian Soyuz capsules. But Boeing’s contribution, the Starliner CST-100, is facing incessant problems. US airline Boeing has entered into a dispute with Aerojet Rocketdyne, the main supplier of the Starliner spacecraft.
The problem occurred with the spacecraft’s fuel valves. Of the 24 oxidizer valves in the system, 13 caused problems. Last August, Boeing also had a problem with commands when it tried to launch the Starliner. To find out about the problems, the officers cleared the launch and disassembled the equipment.
Water accumulating in the system reacted with dinitrogen tetroxide to form nitric acid, which corroded the aluminum valves. Earlier this month, Boeing said it had added additional seals to prevent water ingress and fixed the problem. According to the report, Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne blame each other for the problems.
This is because Boeing’s $4.2 billion fixed value $595 billion spent on contract delays. The company is quite worried about flying the Starliner without the redesigned valves.
During a recent press conference, Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi acknowledged that there will be a change in valve design. He also said he’s considering short- and long-term valve design changes. As a result, there is no information about how comprehensive the valve designs will be.
Well, what do you think about this issue? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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