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Boeing Will Launch Starliner With Helium Leak (www.extremetech.com)

submitted 5 months ago by Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Boeing and NASA are moving ahead with the upcoming Starliner demonstration launch despite an active helium leak. The launch is now on the books for Saturday, June 1, at 12:25 p.m. EDT. If all goes as planned, Starliner will rendezvous with the International Space Station the following day and return to Earth on June 10. If not, it will be another embarrassing setback for Boeing's troubled spacecraft.

Technicians discovered helium escaping from the fuel system earlier this month after valve issues caused NASA to halt the last launch attempt. NASA said in a recent news conference that the extremely slow leak does not pose a danger to the spacecraft. This is based on an exhaustive inspection of Starliner, which was removed from the launchpad along with the Atlas V so the valve in ULA's rocket could be swapped. It was then that the team noticed the helium leak in Starliner.

Even though the optics of launching with an active leak aren't ideal for the troubled Boeing craft, NASA says engineers have done their due diligence during this multi-week pause. Every space launch has risk tolerances, and NASA has judged this one to be in bounds. Helium is a tiny atom that is difficult to fully contain—even the highly successful SpaceX Dragon has occasionally flown with small leaks. While helium is part of the propulsion system, this inert gas is not used as fuel. Helium is used to pressurize the system and ensure fuel is available to the spacecraft's four "doghouse" thruster assemblies and the launch abort engines.

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[–] Exusia@lemmy.world 55 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (16 children)

I distinctly remember growing up hearing there's not even a .01% margin for error on spacecraft. That they must be so durable to withstand the conditions of leaving/reentry and the shuddering vibrations. I realize it's different, but the big fear is always having another Challenger. Challenger didn't just break up, it exploded into 2 pieces on national television. " teacher going to space" had a TV in every classroom across the country watching it.

Helium seems used in the modern rocket to keep hot gas pipes separate from cold liquid fuel. 3 minutes before launch the system is charged and maintained by ground, just before ignition it's disengaged and the system has to support itself. The helium on board only needs to stay pressurized for the 7 minutes or so it takes before the thrusters are spent, and purged, and that's why they don't view it as an issue. But still sounds like fuckass Boeing being ok gambling with lives while NASA shrugs - again.

[–] InternetUser2012@midwest.social 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

The day the Challenger blew up was the day I stopped wanting to be an astronaut when I grew up.

[–] Hobo@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

I can just imagine you sitting there with a little astronaut helmet on, eating astronaut ice cream, and drinking Tang while watching the Challenger go up. Just slowly taking off your helmet, pouring out your tang, and chunking the astronaut ice cream in the dumpster. Then little InternetUser2012 just kind of saying to themself, "Yeah I don't know what I was thinking. That shit is WAY more dangerous than I thought!"

In fairness, just reading about the Challenger also made me do about the same thing when I was a kid. I thought going to space was about the coolest thing I could think of to do. Then when I was in the like the 3rd or 4th grade I read about the Challenger and was like, "On second thought, I don't think I want to go to space after all."

[–] arefx@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 months ago

Reality sets in and you realize how crazy and insane of a job it actually is. Incredible no doubt for the many who do so safetly but yeah.... not exactly safe.

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