Polls

Loading ...

Polls Archive

Sahuaro

8

Walden Grove

51

Oct 6 / Football
Sahuaro

1

Canyon del Oro

3

Oct 5 / Girls Volleyball

Boeing Starliner’s Rescue Team

Marley Gandee, Editor-in-Chief

August 20, 2024

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – JUNE 05: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, June 5, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is the first launch with astronauts of the Boeing CFT-100 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The flight test, which launched at 10:52 a.m. EDT, serves as an end-to-end demonstration of Boeing’s crew transportation system and will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and from the orbiting laboratory. (Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

Two astronauts, planning for an eight-day trip to explore a new way to travel back and forth from the International Space Station, have found themselves at the ISS for the past two months. Their vessel, the Boeing Starliner, was built off of a $4.2 billion contract with NASA; the capsule had been riddled with problems from the first launch where it failed to reach orbit, luckily without humans inside. During the next launch in 2022, two of the Starliner’s thrusters failed; backup thrusters were successfully used and the vessel was re-docked. In 2o23, the parachute system was found to have issues, and the tape used to hold wires proved to be a fire risk.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP) (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images)

This year, while astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were strapped in, a valve had to be replaced and the Boeing invention was found to be leaking helium, which NASA decided was not concerning enough to be a risk to the operation. As the craft was soon to reach the ISS, five of the twenty-eight thrusters failed, and four new helium leaks were found.

Boeing will be in charge of the on-ground rescue operation, focusing on hazmat and extrication. According to The Boeing CCTS (Commercial Crew Transport system) Program Document, “The current team consists of 18 Boeing Fire Department personnel from around the country. CST-100 team members are selected based on their behaviors, work ethics, and ability to work in remote conditions as a cohesive team.” The CCTS consists of a Red, Gold, and backup team.

The Red team will be in charge of transporting the astronauts to a medical vehicle, either a truck or a helicopter. The Gold team will monitor the hydrazine levels in the air, in case of a leak, and assist in the setup of decontamination areas if that becomes a concern.

According to the CDC, “Breathing hydrazines for short periods may cause coughing and irritation of the throat and lungs, convulsions, tremors, or seizures. Breathing hydrazines for long periods may cause liver and kidney damage, as well as serious effects on reproductive organs.” With other concerns for the astronauts’ health from an extended time in space, breathing in hydrazine is not an ideal circumstance.

About the Contributor

Marley Gandee, Editor-in-Chief

Senior, Marley Gandee, has been a journalist for The Paper Cut since her freshman year. This is her second year as Editor-in-Chief. She loves writing and editing articles, interviewing students and staff, and photography. Her favorite articles to report on at Sahuaro are football games and human interest stories. This summer she attended Arizona Girls State, where she furthered her passion for politics. As for the future, Marley has several different career paths she wants to follow. She wants to first make a name for herself as a political journalist before venturing into running for a political office. Mar, as she likes to be called, enjoys listening to many different genres of music; some of her favorite bands/artists include CCR, The Rolling Stones, ABBA, Toby Mac, and Ben Rector. As for this year, she is excited to graduate, write countless more articles in The Paper Cut, and run cross country and track.