Starliner is currently having issues with two of its four RCS thrusters. It’s holding 200 m from the ISS while they troubleshoot.
If they aren’t able to dock with the ISS (it’s possible this is connected to the helium leak, which had gotten worse), the update video for this is just going to be me screaming on camera.
This morning, Boeing Starliner successfully launched to the ISS for its crewed flight test. Here's an overview of what happened, what the implications for this flight are, and what's next:
I have a Love/Hate (mostly Hate) relationship with the Ars Technica comments section, particularly where space is concerned, but it's heartening to see this pro-#ChandraXRay comment sitting on 94 updoots to 0 downdoots on the Hubble Gyro article.
It has been a bit disheartening the past three months to worry about our healthy, productive, and unique mission being terminated abruptly, and so it's good to see the public is getting that message.
INCREDIBLE images from China's Chang’e 6 lander, which landed on the far side of the moon late on June 1 and lifted off in an ascent vehicle with the first lunar samples from the far side of the moon yesterday.
@rw007 nope!! it doesn't ever face us but that side of the moon is lit by the sun. This was taken at the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon and I believe the sun started rising there around May 27.
@LonM I'm pretty sure it's color accurate! The moon does have some color surface features, plus when the angle of the sun hits just right it looks more brown than gray.
@LonM To clarify: I'm guessing because it's hard to get info out of the Chinese Space Agency, as you can imagine, but I will dig to see what I can find!
@bibipov I know the rendezvous and docking in orbit will be autonomous, I don't know about the ascent! They do have communication though thanks to a relay satellite they placed in orbit.
@WammKD Very possible he was making a joke, but I have never interacted with him and I'm at the point where I'm not giving anyone the benefit of the doubt on here.
@skribe I dashed a quick post off while I was making my to do list for the week in an effort to be helpful to others for free. Sorry it wasn't good enough for you!