Boeing called off the first crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner space capsule after an Atlas V rocket valve problem was detected, postponing the launch just two hours before liftoff. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were scheduled to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) for a week. The postponement raises questions about Boeing's competition with SpaceX for NASA contracts, as SpaceX successfully transported astronauts to the ISS in 2020.
Boeing is set to launch its first crew of NASA astronauts to the ISS on May 6 with the Starliner CST-100 spacecraft, carrying Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission marks a significant milestone after delays and glitches in previous test flights. Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has resolved safety hazards and aims to fulfill its $4.3 billion Commercial Crew Program contract with NASA, competing with SpaceX's successful crewed launches.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is scheduled to launch with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station (ISS) in May. The spacecraft faced delays due to safety concerns, including issues with parachutes and flammable protective tape. Boeing has addressed these concerns, developed a new parachute system, and is confident in the spacecraft's readiness for launch. This marks Boeing's first crewed trip to the ISS and the first Starliner launch since an uncrewed test flight anomaly in 2022.
Boeing is launching NASA astronauts Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft, challenging SpaceX. This mission is a critical test before routine flights can be approved.
Boeing is preparing to send the first Starliner space capsule with a crew of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after years of delays and cost overruns. The CST-100 Starliner test mission is a crucial milestone for Boeing's efforts to compete with SpaceX in the commercial crew program, with Starliner aiming for routine space trips and potential missions to the moon and Mars. The launch is scheduled for May 6, with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams set to test Starliner's systems during a 10-day mission.
Boeing's CFT-100 Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to launch NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station on a Crew Flight Test. The launch is set for May 6, 2024, atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, marking the first launch to the ISS aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Barry Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are preparing to pilot Boeing's Starliner capsule on its first crewed test flight to the International Space Station on May 6. This mission is crucial for demonstrating the spacecraft's ability to safely transport crew to and from low-Earth orbit, marking a significant advancement for Boeing. The astronauts, veterans and former Navy test pilots, have undergone extensive preparations for the launch, which has faced delays due to software glitches and technical issues.
Boeing is set to launch its first-ever Starliner Crew Flight Test mission for NASA on May 6, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission will have a weeklong duration to the International Space Station and is a critical test to demonstrate the readiness of the commercial space capsule. The NASA astronauts, Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Sunita Williams, will fly on the Starliner spacecraft. The mission will end with Starliner parachuting to Earth for a land-based landing in the southwestern United States.
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is undergoing preparations for a crewed flight to the International Space Station scheduled for May 6, 2024, as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are part of the crew for the upcoming mission, with training activities including mission dress rehearsals and simulator work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
United Airlines reported a $164 million pre-tax loss in the first quarter of the year due to grounding its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet after a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. Boeing paid $160 million to Alaska Airlines for losses incurred. United had 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, the second highest fleet, and faced delays in Boeing deliveries. A whistleblower alleged safety concerns with Boeing's manufacturing, leading to further scrutiny. United's revenue increased despite the grounding, with plans to lease Airbus planes due to Boeing delivery cuts.
Boeing is threatening to lock out its private force of firefighters in the Seattle area if they do not accept the company's last offer on wages, citing precautionary measures due to the possibility of a strike. The labor showdown comes amid Boeing's significant losses and safety concerns. The union is seeking higher raises than what Boeing proposed, with a major point of contention being the time it takes for firefighters to reach the top pay scale. Boeing has lodged a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over the negotiations.
Boeing provided Alaska Airlines with $61 million in supplier credit memos as additional compensation for the temporary grounding of 737 MAX 9 jets following a mid-air emergency in January. This compensation is in addition to the $162 million cash provided earlier in the first quarter. United Airlines, another affected customer, is also being compensated by Boeing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation identified crucial bolts missing from the panel that blew out, leading to wider investigations into Boeing's production processes.
Boeing has locked out 125 firefighters in the Seattle area and brought in replacements after failed wage agreement negotiations with the firefighters union. The company states the lockout will not affect operations. The union accuses Boeing of undervaluing the firefighters' work and risking safety. The negotiations have been ongoing for 2 1/2 months, with Boeing offering wage increases but falling short of the union's demands for a 40-50% raise. A key point of contention is the proposed 19-year wait for top pay scale, opposed to the union's proposal of five years.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, test pilots, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and are scheduled to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule atop an Atlas rocket to the International Space Station on May 6, 2024.
Southwest Airlines reported a wider loss in the first quarter compared to last year, expecting a 4% growth in capacity for 2024 instead of the planned 6%. It anticipates a growth of 8% to 9% in the second quarter with a potential revenue decline of up to 3.5%. The airline revised its Boeing 737 Max 8 plane delivery forecast from 46 to 20, leading to cost-cutting measures, including reducing staff by 2,000 employees by the end of 2023 and shutting down operations at several airports. CEO Bob Jordan emphasized the need to achieve financial goals amid challenges from Boeing's delivery delays.
Alaska Air Group Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett stated that the company's focus is on ensuring the highest quality and safety standards of Boeing's jets, following a grounding of its MAX 9 fleet after a mid-air cabin panel blowout costing $162 million in the first quarter. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has capped MAX production at 38 jets a month, with Boeing's output falling below this level. Alaska has adjusted growth plans due to lower aircraft deliveries, expecting about 10 planes this year instead of the planned 23, leading to potential delays in receiving the larger MAX 10 variant.
Boeing whistleblowers, Sam Salehpour and Ed Pierson, testified before Congress on safety concerns at the company. Salehpour, a Quality Engineer, claimed sections of the 787 Dreamliner jets were not properly secured and faced threats for raising issues. Pierson, ex-Boeing manager, accused the company of a 'criminal cover-up' regarding an Alaskan Airlines flight incident. Pierson revealed records exist of maintenance work on the flight's door despite Boeing's denial. Both whistleblowers highlighted safety lapses and alleged cover-ups within Boeing.
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and competes with the Airbus A320neo family.The new series was announced on August 30, 2011. It took its maiden flight on January 29, 2016 and was certified by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 in May 2017 to Malindo Air, with which it commenced service on May 22, 2017.The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs, with more efficient CFM International LEAP engines, aerodynamic changes including distinctive split-tip winglets, and airframe modifications.The 737 MAX series has been offered in four variants, offering 138 to 204 seats in typical two-class configuration, and a range of 3,300 to 3,850 nautical miles [nmi] (6,110 to 7,130 km; 3,800 to 4,430 mi). The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8, and MAX 9 are intended to replace the 737-700, -800, and -900 respectively, and a further-stretched 737 MAX 10 is available. However, as of February 2024, the MAX 7 and MAX 10 have not been certified, with the FAA declining to provide a timetable for approval. As of January 2024, the 737 MAX has 4,759 unfilled orders and 1,445 deliveries.The 737 MAX suffered two fatal crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early 2019, in which a total of 346 people died. Contributing to the accidents was the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which activated unexpectedly due to erroneous angle of attack data, and remained active because of pilot error due to inadequate training. The aircraft was subsequently grounded worldwide from March 2019 to November 2020, with the FAA garnering criticism for being the last major authority to ground it. Investigations found Boeing did not fully inform operators about MCAS and found shortcomings in the FAA's certification process for the aircraft. The accidents and grounding cost Boeing an estimated US$20 billion in fines, compensation and legal fees as of 2020, with indirect losses of more than US$60 billion from 1,200 cancelled orders. In 2021, Boeing also paid US$2.5 billion in penalties and compensation to settle the DOJ's fraud conspiracy case against the company. Further investigations also revealed that the FAA and Boeing had colluded on recertification test flights, attempted to cover up important information and that the FAA had retaliated against whistleblowers.The FAA cleared the aircraft to return to service on November 18, 2020, subject to mandated design and training changes. Canadian and European authorities followed in late January 2021. Chinese authorities were among the last to lift the grounding in December 2021, at which time, over 180 countries out of 195 had cleared the 737 MAX to return to service.In January 2024, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 suffered a door plug blowout at an unused emergency exit during the climb, causing uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft. The FAA immediately mandated a grounding and inspections of all 737 MAX 9 with a similar configuration; affected aircraft were returned to service starting at the end of that month. The investigation found the plug was not bolted into place during manufacturing.
Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour testified about safety shortcuts and compromised structural integrity in Boeing's 787 Dreamliners, leading to fears of defective airplanes. Another whistleblower, Ed Pierson, raised concerns about missing paperwork after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX flight incident. Congressional hearings revealed a broken safety culture and pressure on workers to speed up production. Boeing is under three separate investigations by US authorities and is undergoing a management shake-up, with the CEO set to depart. The company denied claims of compromising safety standards.
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers; it is the third-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2020 revenue and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value. Boeing's stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.Boeing was founded by William Boeing in Seattle, Washington, on July 15, 1916. The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1, 1997. Then-chairman and CEO of Boeing, Philip M. Condit, assumed those roles in the combined company, while Harry Stonecipher, former CEO of McDonnell Douglas, became president and COO.As of 2023, the Boeing Company's corporate headquarters is located in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. The company is organized into four primary divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA); Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS); Boeing Global Services; and Boeing Capital. In 2021, Boeing recorded $62.3 billion (€56.1bn) in sales. Boeing is ranked 54th on the Fortune 500 list (2020), and ranked 121st on the Fortune Global 500 list (2020).
In the latest battles between Airbus and Boeing for commercial aircraft dominance, Airbus has taken the lead in sales as Boeing grapples with manufacturing issues and safety concerns.
The International Space Station programme is tied together by a complex set of legal, political and financial agreements between the fifteen nations involved in the project, governing ownership of the various components, rights to crewing and utilisation, and responsibilities for crew rotation and resupply of the International Space Station. It was conceived in September 1993 by the United States and Russia after 1980s plans for separate American (Freedom) and Soviet (Mir-2) space stations failed due to budgetary reasons. These agreements tie together the five space agencies and their respective International Space Station programmes and govern how they interact with each other on a daily basis to maintain station operations, from traffic control of spacecraft to and from the station, to utilisation of space and crew time. In March 2010, the International Space Station Program Managers from each of the five partner agencies were presented with Aviation Week's Laureate Award in the Space category, and the ISS programme was awarded the 2009 Collier Trophy.
Politics of the International Space Station have been affected by superpower rivalries, international treaties and funding arrangements. The Cold War was an early factor, overtaken in recent years by the United States' distrust of China. The station has an international crew, with the use of their time, and that of equipment on the station, being governed by treaties between participant nations.
SpaceX launched its 40th mission of the year this evening (April 18). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of the company's Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at 6:40 p.m. EDT (2240 GMT). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about 8.
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body commercial aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton factory in Washington.Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retained the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating but with two underwing turbofans instead of four. Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered service in February 1968 with Lufthansa.The lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968, and evolved through four generations, offering several variants for 85 to 215 passengers.The 737-100/200 original variants were powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines and offered seating for 85 to 130 passengers. Launched in 1980 and introduced in 1984, the 737 Classic -300/400/500 variants were upgraded with more fuel-efficient CFM56-3 high-bypass turbofans and offered 110 to 168 seats. Introduced in 1997, the 737 Next Generation (NG) -600/700/800/900 variants have updated CFM56-7 high-bypass turbofans, a larger wing and an upgraded glass cockpit, and seat 108 to 215 passengers. The latest generation, the 737 MAX -7/8/9/10 variants, powered by improved CFM LEAP-1B high-bypass turbofans and accommodating 138 to 204 people, entered service in 2017.Boeing Business Jet versions have been produced since the 737NG, as well as military models.As of January 2024, 16,460 Boeing 737s have been ordered and 11,685 delivered.Initially, its main competitor was the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, followed by its MD-80/MD-90 derivatives. In 2013, the global 737 fleet had completed more than 184 million flights over 264 million block hours since its entry into service. It was the highest-selling commercial aircraft until being surpassed by the competing Airbus A320 family in October 2019, but maintains the record in total deliveries. The 737 MAX, designed to compete with the A320neo, was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and November 2020 following two fatal crashes. A further accident involving an uncontrolled decompression led to the grounding of most 737 MAX 9 aircraft in January 2024.
This is a chronological list of expeditions to the International Space Station (ISS). An expedition to the ISS refers to the crew that is occupying the space station and using it for research and testing. Expeditions can last up to six months and include between two and seven crew members.Expeditions are numbered starting from one and sequentially increased with each expedition. Resupply mission crews and space tourists are excluded (see List of human spaceflights to the ISS for details). ISS commanders are listed in italics. "Duration" is the period of time between the crew's launch from Earth and until their decoupling from the ISS.Future international collaboration on ISS activities has been thrown into doubt by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions on Russia.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launch service provider, defense contractor and satellite communications company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and ultimately developing a sustainable colony on Mars. The company currently operates the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets along with the Dragon and Starship spacecraft.The company offers internet service via its Starlink satellites, which became the largest-ever satellite constellation in January 2020 and as of November 2023 comprised more than 5,000 small satellites in orbit.Meanwhile, the company is developing Starship, a human-rated, fully-reusable, super heavy-lift launch system for interplanetary and orbital spaceflight. On its first flight in April 2023, it became the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown. The rocket reached space on its second flight that took place in November 2023.SpaceX is the first private company to develop a liquid-propellant rocket that has reached orbit; to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft; to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station; and to send astronauts to the International Space Station. It is also the first organization of any type to achieve a vertical propulsive landing of an orbital rocket booster and the first to reuse such a booster. The company's Falcon 9 rockets have landed and reflown more than 200 times. As of December 2023, SpaceX has around $180 billion valuation.
Dragon is a family of spacecraft developed and produced by American private space transportation company SpaceX. The first family member, later named Dragon 1, flew 23 cargo missions to the ISS between 2010 and 2020 before retiring. This version, not designed to carry astronauts, was funded by NASA with $396 million awarded through the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, with SpaceX announced as a winner of the first round of funding on August 18, 2006.SpaceX developed its Dragon 2 spacecraft starting in 2014, with a cargo and crewed version. It entered service in 2019 with the Demo-1 flight, and performed its first flight with astronauts on May 30, 2020, during the Crew Dragon Demo-2 flight.SpaceX also investigated a version named Red Dragon for Mars exploration, but the project did not proceed.A version named Dragon XL is proposed to provide Gateway Logistics Services to the Lunar Gateway.
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station is an artificial satellite (i.e., a type of orbital spaceflight). Stations must have docking ports to allow other spacecraft to dock to transfer crew and supplies. The purpose of maintaining an orbital outpost varies depending on the program. Space stations have most often been launched for scientific purposes, but military launches have also occurred.Space stations have harboured so far the only long-duration direct human presence in space. After the first station, Salyut 1 (1971), and the deaths of its Soyuz 11 crew, space stations have been operated consecutively since Skylab (1973), having allowed a progression of long-duration direct human presence in space. Stations have been occupied by consecutive crews since 1987 with the Salyut successor Mir. Uninterrupted occupation of stations has been achieved since the operational transition from the Mir to the ISS, with its first occupation in 2000.The ISS has hosted the highest number of people in orbit at the same time, reaching 13 for the first time during the eleven day docking of STS-127 in 2009. On May 30, 2023 there were 11 people on the ISS and 6 on China's TSS: with a total of 17 people in orbit, it set the record for most people in orbit as of 2023.As of 2024, there are two fully operational space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) – the International Space Station (ISS) and China's Tiangong Space Station (TSS). The ISS has been permanently inhabited since October 2000 with the Expedition 1 crews and the TSS began continuous inhabitation with the Shenzhou 14 crews in June 2022. These stations are used to study the effects of spaceflight on the human body, as well as to provide a location to conduct a greater number and longer length of scientific studies than is possible on other space vehicles. In 2022, the TSS finished its phase 1 construction with the addition of two lab modules: Wentian ("Quest for the Heavens"), launched on 24 July 2022, and Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens") launched on 31 October 2022, joining the ISS as the most recent space station operating in orbit. In July 2022, Russia announced intentions to withdraw from the ISS after 2024 in order to build its own space station. There have been numerous decommissioned space stations, including the USSR's Salyuts and Mir, NASA's Skylab, and China's Tiangong 1 and Tiangong 2.
According to NASA, Ms Williams has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space. Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is all set to fly into space for a third time on Tuesday as the pilot aboard the Starliner spacecraft of Boeing in its first crewed test flight. The Starliner will blast off for the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The scheduled lift-off is set for 10:34 PM (local time) on Monday (8:04 AM IST on Tuesday). Besides the 58-year-old Williams, the spacecraft will carry Butch Wilmore -- a navy test pilot who has flown into space twice -- to the ISS.
China's video showcasing its planned lunar base featured a NASA Space Shuttle taking off, a peculiar detail given US-China space restrictions. The CGI also depicted a Chinese astronaut with a flag on the moon's research campus. The US, focused on its Orion Spacecraft, prohibits collaboration with China in space. China's lunar base aims for international collaboration, but the US warns against China controlling lunar resources. NASA's Artemis project, budgeted at $93 billion by 2025, aims for a late 2025 moon landing.
Federal air safety regulators are investigating Boeing for possible misconduct, including falsified tests related to the bonding and grounding of wings on certain 787 Dreamliner planes. Boeing is re-inspecting all 787 airplanes in production and addressing the in-service fleet. The investigation was prompted by employees not performing required tests and recording them as completed. The company claims this misconduct did not pose an immediate safety risk.
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