Starliner Returns to Earth Empty

Top Stories from The Journal of Space Commerce for the Week Ending September 7

At least one chapter of the Starliner saga has ended. The beleaguered spacecraft landed late Friday night (local time) at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. But the crew it carried to ISS will be there until February of next year.

The landing took place at 10:06 pm MDT (12:06 am September 7th EDT) under three parachutes and cushioned by airbags. It marked the ending of a three month test flight that was intended to last 8 days. Starliner now will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection and processing.

While the spacecraft is back, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 72 until February of next year.

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Because of the need to give Butch and Suni a ride home from ISS in February, NASA has made changes to the crew roster for the Crew-9 launch scheduled for September 24 from Kennedy Space Center.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch to the station as scheduled, but NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, previously announced as crewmates, will be keeping their feet firmly on the ground. They are eligible for reassignment on a future mission.

The decision to fly Hague was made by NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Acaba had to balance flying a NASA crew member with previous spaceflight experience to command the flight, while ensuring NASA maintains an integrated crew with a Roscosmos cosmonaut who can operate their critical systems for continued, safe station operations.

The agency will share reassignment details for Cardman and Wilson when available.

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Meanwhile, the Starliner story was the topic of a new podcast from Ex Terra Media LLC, which premiered on Thursday. The inaugural episode of Ex Terra Extra takes an in-depth look at the relationship between NASA and Boeing, and some of the factors that may have led to the issues with Starliner.

Ex Terra Extra will become a premium product for paid subscribers as future episodes are released. Join Mike Turner and Tom Patton as they take a deep dive into some of the most interesting topics in space commerce, accompanied by in-depth articles and analysis.

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In non-Boeing space news, the maritime satellite communication market is projected to reach $12.4 billion by 2032, according to the latest report by Global Market Insights Inc.

The market expansion is propelled by the increasing need for reliable communication solutions in the maritime industry, which is essential for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and operational capabilities of vessels. As the maritime sector increasingly adopts advanced communication technologies, satellite-based solutions are playing a critical role in enhancing connectivity for vessels at sea, driving significant market growth. This transformation is fueled by advancements in satellite communication technologies that offer robust and uninterrupted connectivity across global maritime routes.

The maritime satellite communication market size from mobile satellite services (MSS) segment will witness substantial growth from 2024 to 2032, driven by the increasing reliance on mobile communication solutions for maritime operations.

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Astrobotic has published a Post-Peregrine Report, which includes information from the Peregrine review board established at the conclusion of the mission.

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One (PM1) journeyed through space from January 8, 2024, until January 18, 2024. While the launch of the spacecraft was successful, a propulsion anomaly encountered during flight prevented it from making its intended landing on the Moon. The report begins with an overview of the mission, anomaly findings, and a path forward; it ends with a more detailed account of Peregrine’s entire journey, from launch to mission end.

According to the report, the board concluded that the most likely cause of Peregrine’s anomaly was the failure of a singular helium pressure control valve, called PCV2, within the propulsion system.

In addition to the PVC anomaly, the Peregrine spacecraft experienced 24 total in-flight anomalies. Eight of these were mission critical and potentially mission-ending, all of which were resolved in real-time during flight by the company’s Mission Control team.

https://www.exterrajsc.com