Tag Archives: Boeing

Successful Launch of the Boeing Starliner

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Kudos to Boeing and NASA for the triumphant launch of the Starliner aboard an Atlas V rocket, carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The duo is tasked with delivering vital cargo to the space station, including a replacement pump for the malfunctioning urine processor that’s part of the water recovery system. With a seven-member crew on the station, one can envision the quick accumulation of urine. Let’s hope they were well-stocked with zip-lock bags.

Crewed space vehicles must rise to extra design requirements and certification steps over uncrewed launch systems. A crewed vehicle must be highly reliable with redundant systems and levels of control that the crew can take charge of to qualify for a human rating. According to NASA protocol requirements, to qualify under NASA CCP human-rating standard, the probability of a loss ascent and loss on descent should be no greater than 1 in 500 each way. The overall mission risk of loss, including on orbit, must not exceed 1 in 270.

The program shall be designed so that the cumulative probability of safe crew return over the life of the program exceeds 0.99. This will be accomplished through the use of all available mechanisms including mission success, abort, safe haven, and crew escape. Source: NASAs Human Rating Requirements.

The development of a human-rated space launch system that intends to use equipment and systems that have not been previously flight tested has a tough row to hoe. Entire buildings of cold, skeptical eyes will insist on being satisfied before any new system goes to launch. But this is true for the aerospace industry and the FAA in general. Software driven systems present challenges to software designers to get past a validation.

The string of crashes, delays and failures that Boeing has endured in the last few years is certainly noteworthy. Some have lamented that the company culture has drifted away from its earlier strong engineering culture to something else. Perhaps drifting MBA curricula and B-school faculty & consultant enthusiasms have contributed to some kind of inflection point in the thinking of the present C-suite inhabitants. Whatever the case, Boeing had better get its Mojo back.

ISS water and urine recycling system. Wait, shouldn’t there be a curtain for privacy?

A bit of aerospace

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On a recent vacation trip to the Puget Sound area I managed to take a public tour of the Boeing manufacturing facility in Everett, WA. They don’t give away the tour- it costs $25 for adults and lasts about 90 minutes. For cash you get a movie highlighting the history of Boeing and a trip to a few mezzanines overlooking the 787 Dreamliner and 747 manufacturing areas. And just like Disney, you exit the attraction tour through the gift shop.

The first thing you notice is that security is very stringent. No phones, bags or purses, etc., once the tour begins. They are an important military contractor after all. As technically savvy as they may be though, the communication level of the tour guide was roughly 6-7th grade. The reason might be the wide range of visitor ages and nationalities. One Asian visitor on our bus wore a blue track suit bearing the name “Mongolia”.

It is easy to forget just how brilliant the US is and has long been in the broader aerospace world. Of course, other countries have developed advanced aerospace platforms, and produced their share of talent too, notably France, England, Germany and Russia. But one must admit that considerable advancement has happened here for some reason. A broad industrial base with access to raw materials and capital is certainly a big part of it. Perhaps our remote location between two great oceans and historical absence of the distraction of carpet bombing by foreign adversaries has a little to do with it as well.

Balloon on a hazy day.

For many of us, aerospace brings out excitement and optimism by its very nature. It embodies much of the best in people. The pillars of aerospace are many and rely strongly on ingenuity and engineering disciplines. By discipline I mean rigorous design-then-test cycles. A human-rated flying machine is a difficult and expensive build if the goal is for people and equipment to return intact.  Unlike SpaceX who has launched much cargo, and among other things, a cheese wheel and a car, NASA has been launching people for a long time. Not to diminish the fine work of SpaceX or the other commercial efforts, it’s just that NASA takes a lot of heat for their deliberate pace.

Erie Airport, Colorado, from a hot air balloon at ca 2000′.

The last week has been a period of many modes of transportation. It’s been planes, trains, automobiles, ferry boats, and a hot air balloon. The nightmare of Seattle traffic is best forgotten. If you can avoid driving in Seattle during rush hours, do so.

If you can swing a hot air balloon ride, do it. Dig up some of that cash you have buried in the back yard and spend it. I found the ride to be absent any nerve wracking moments and to be quite a serene experience. There is no wind aloft and it is dead silent when the burners aren’t going. Do bring a hat, however. The burners are bloody hot.

Getting ready for a 4-balloon launch.

Like all pilots, balloonists enjoy low level flight.

The burners emit tremendous radiant heat. A wise passenger wears a hat for this reason.