SpaceX Might Have to Rescue Boeing’s Astronauts

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! This week’s newsletter is 662 words, a 5-minute read.

Table of Contents

• 1 Big Thing: SpaceX Might Need to Rescue Boeing’s …

• 2. Cool Stuff You Might Have Missed

• 3. Rocket Lab is on a Roll

• 4. Upcoming Launches & Missions

1 Big Thing: SpaceX Might Need to Rescue Boeing’s Astronauts

It’s Been 2 Months, and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams still haven’t returned from the ISS aboard their Boeing Starliner capsule.

In Case You’ve Missed it: Here’s a quick recap of what’s going on with Boeing’s new spacecraft.

• June 6th - Starliner successfully docked with the ISS despite issues with its reaction control thrusters. 5 of the thrusters shut down unexpectedly during docking.

• Ever since, NASA engineers have been trying to recreate the issue here on Earth to determine if it’s safe to fly, but they’re having trouble.

• Wilmore and Williams were supposed to spend 1-2 weeks aboard the ISS, but instead have been there for 2 months now.

• Helium continues to leak from the fuel pressurization system, and Boeing and NASA do not have a clear return date set for the astronauts.

Veiled in Secrecy: Everyone’s starting to wonder if Starliner will ever make it back, and NASA and Boeing have been pretty quiet on the issue.

Some Sources say that there’s a greater than 50% chance that Boeing’s astronauts will need to be rescued by a SpaceX Dragon in order to safely return to Earth.

• You can imagine the PR nightmare that Boeing would face if forced to abandon its own spacecraft and rely on its competitor’s for a safe ride home.

• You can also imagine how much of a PR (and human) tragedy it would be if the Starliner tried to return to Earth and something went wrong.

Looking Ahead: As always, I’ll provide any updates in future newsletters, but for now, we’re all waiting for more information and a decision on whether or not Starliner will attempt a return.

2. Cool Stuff You Might Have Missed

1. Perceptive Space raised $2.8 million for space weather platform. (SpaceNews)

2. The Perseus meteor shower is peaking this weekend. (Space)

3. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus freighter arrived at the ISS with 4 tons of supplies. (Space)

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3. Rocket Lab is on a Roll

Successful Launch: Rocket Lab launched the fifth radar imaging satellite for Japanese company Synspective on August 2, 2024, using the Electron rocket. The satellite, named StriX, was deployed into a 543-kilometer orbit.

Third-Generation Technology: StriX is the first of Synspective's third-generation synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, featuring an upgraded sensor for higher resolution and wide-area imaging.

Mid-Inclination Orbit: Unlike previous satellites in sun-synchronous orbits, StriX was placed in a mid-inclination orbit to enable high-frequency imaging from multiple directions in low- and mid-latitude regions.

Ongoing Partnership: Synspective has consistently used Rocket Lab's Electron rockets since 2020. A sixth launch is planned for later this year, with ten more launches scheduled between 2025 and 2027 under a new contract.

Funding and Expansion: Synspective raised 7 billion yen ($48 million) in a Series C funding round to support mass production of its satellites, aiming to deploy up to 30 satellites by the end of the decade.

Looking Ahead: Originally, Capella Space was scheduled to use this Electron launch but postponed it for additional spacecraft testing. This launch was Rocket Lab's ninth of the year, approaching their record of ten launches but likely falling short of their 22-launch goal due to customer delays.

4. Upcoming Launches & Missions

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Thanks as always,

-Michael