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Posted by BeauHD from the unexpected-challenges dept.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are facing challenges returning to Earth due to compatibility issues between their Boeing-designed spacesuits and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Inc. Magazine reports: The space suits in question are the “intra-vehicular activity” outfits now worn by astronauts. They’re simpler than the bulky extra-vehicular space suits used on space walks, and are designed to keep astronauts safe in the capsule in the very unlikely case there’s a problem that causes the capsule’s atmosphere to be lost. The problem is simple: Should Butch and Suni need to fly back aboard SpaceX’s vehicle, their suits won’t fit in Dragon’s seats. […]
Boeing and SpaceX suits evolved under totally different design sensibilities. If Boeing and NASA deem Starliner unsafe for humans to fly home in, Butch and Suni must head earthward aboard a SpaceX Dragon, but their suits won’t be able to plug into Dragon’s systems. Like trying to plug an essentially outdated USB A socket into an iPhone’s charge port, the suit connectors have different shapes, styles, and functions. The suits themselves have different systems that integrate with their own capsules for purposes like air leak checks during pre-flight testing.
So if an emergency situation presents itself and astronauts have to come back to Earth before proper plans are finalized, Butch and Suni will have to return inside the cargo section of a Dragon space capsule “unsuited,” according to NASA leadership who spoke on the matter in a press conference last week. Other plans include flying up suitable Dragon-connecting space suits for the two astronauts on a later mission, should Starliner be deemed incapable of bringing them back.
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