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Boeing Starliner's Thruster Failures Leave Crew Stuck In The Space Station: SpaceX Dragon May Come To The Rescue
August 09, 2024
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NASA officials Wednesday, briefed reporters about the status of about the status of Boeing Starliner and how its technical problems may affect the next SpaceX crew flight to the International Space Station(ISS). Five of the spacecraft's 28 reaction control thrusters (RCS) misfired during docking with the ISS on June 6 and it has since faced a lot of difficulties, delaying the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

Boeing engineers continue to troubleshoot the apparent failures in the thrusters of Starliner. The descent back to our planet may again overtax the RCS system, some at NASA say. And there's disagreement on the apparent cause of what CFT engineers have said, may be overheating in "doghouse" shelters over clusters of RCS thrusters, which in turn causes thruster insulation to shed.

Additionally to the apparent insulation shedding, a poppet valve in Starliner's thrusters has been "heating up and extruding and [...] contracting" in ground testing, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said today.

The sticking point is better understanding of if and how the technical difficulties will affect Starliner's undocking and return to Earth.

The astronauts have now been in space for over 60 days, overstaying the scheduled 10-day Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission.

"We're in a kind of a new situation here, in that we've got multiple options," astronaut and associate administrator for NASA's space operations mission directorate, Ken Bowersox said during the briefing. "We don't just have to bring a crew back on Starliner, for example. We could bring them back on another vehicle." SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft may come to the rescue.

NASA revealed yesterday, it will delay the Elon Musk company's ninth operational flight Crew-9, to the ISS. Crew Dragon which is designed for four astronauts, will now launch Sept. 24 instead of Aug. 18. This is to accommodate a potential plan to send only two astronauts up on Crew-9, and bring back the Starliner astronauts with the two returning crew in February 2025.

Crew-9 is supposed to launch to the space station with NASA's Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, Stephanie Wilson and Russia space agency's Alexsandr Gorbunov. NASA is still mulling over program-level staffing decisions if two members of the crew is dropped. "We're not ready to share specific crew names for the contingency plan," ISS program manager Dana Weigel said.

The SpaceX Dragon could launch with two astronauts and two seats filled with mass simulators to account for the empty seats. The spacecraft would stay docked to ISS for a normal six-month mission, with Williams and Wilmore returning early next year in the two leftover seats. 

Weigel emphasized the CFT astronauts are "fully trained" for a normal ISS rotation, and that was planned two years ago knowing a developmental flight may very well extend for months. NASA even has appropriately sized spacesuits on board for the CFT astronauts, in case a need for extravehicular activity arises. The ISS also has a four-month contingency of supplies that the CFT astronauts have been using for matters such as food and oxygen.

The decision for Starliner's flight rationale would go to Bowersox, whose authority is delegated to by NASA administrator Bill Nelson.

"The administrator ultimately takes responsibility and and has a very important concern and responsibility for the final decision," Bowersox said. Notably, Nelson was on the last space shuttle flight 10 days before the fatal Challenger launch in 1986, and has spoken openly about the devastating effect that had on him.

Starliner will have to undock at some point, whether crewed or uncrewed, to make way for Crew-9 at the ISS Harmony module. Crew-8 will stay on board a little longer as it is expected to leave about a week past Crew-9's arrival, whenever that happens. SpaceX will also be delaying its 31st Cargo Dragon to the ISS to no earlier than mid-October.

SpaceX and Boeing are the two commercial crew providers for NASA, tasked in 2014 with sending astronauts regularly to the ISS after the space shuttle's retirement in 2011. Russia's Soyuz spacecraft stepped into the launching gap for ISS missions until SpaceX sent its first astronaut test mission to space successfully in 2020.

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U.S. Military Airstrike In Southern Caribbean Targets Vessel Allegedly Operated By Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang

The U.S. military on Tuesday, conducted a precision strike in the southern Caribbean against a vessel that had departed from Venezuela and was allegedly operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, a transnational criminal organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. government.

President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, stating that 11 individuals, whom he referred to as "narcoterrorists" or "terrorists," were killed in the strike while the boat was transporting illegal narcotics in international waters. The strike was described as a "kinetic" operation carried out in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.

The U.S. military confirmed a "precision strike" against the vessel. Trump shared a 29-second video clip on Truth Social showing a small, multi-engine speedboat traveling at sea before a bright flash and flames engulfed it. The video is largely in black and white, and Venezuela's Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez falsely suggested it was artificially generated.

No U.S. military personnel were injured in the operation Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the "lethal strike" on X stating it targeted a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.

The Tren de Aragua gang originated over a decade ago within the notoriously violent prison system of Venezuela's Aragua state. It has since expanded its operations across Latin America, including to Chile, Colombia, and the United States, where it is involved in drug smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, sex trafficking, and acts of extreme violence such as beheadings.

The Biden administration designated it a transnational crime organization in 2024. President Trump, upon returning to office, escalated the designation, formally declaring Tren de Aragua a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" in February 2025, a move that is unusual for a criminal gang.

The strike on the vessel occurred amid a significant U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean. In recent weeks, the U.S. has sent at least seven warships, including the nuclear-powered submarine USS Virginia, and over 4,500 Marines and sailors to the region.

This build-up, which includes Aegis guided-missile destroyers like the USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham, is part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to combat drug trafficking from Latin America. The administration has also increased surveillance flights with P-8 spy planes over international waters.

The deployment has been met with strong condemnation from Venezuela, with President Nicolás Maduro calling it an "extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat" and vowing to "declare a republic in arms" if attacked. Maduro has ordered troops to the border with Colombia and urged civilians to join militias in response.

The strike represents a dramatic escalation in the U.S. approach to drug cartels, signaling a willingness to use military force in the Americas.

The U.S. has also offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Despite the military action, the administration has not signaled plans for a land invasion of Venezuela.

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September 03, 2025
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The posts that prompted his detention included one from April 20 stating: "If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls."

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The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest and stated that officers became concerned for his health, resulting in the hospital visit, but claimed his condition was neither life-threatening nor life-changing. The arrest was carried out by armed officers from the MPS Aviation Unit.

Linehan described being met by five armed officers immediately after disembarking from his American Airlines flight, escorted to a private area, and informed of his arrest. He was placed in a cell and questioned about the tweets, during which his blood pressure reportedly reached over 200, leading to his transfer to the emergency department at a hospital for observation.

The arrest comes days before Linehan is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 4, 2025, facing two charges: one of harassing transgender activist Sophia Brooks on social media and another of damaging her mobile phone during an October incident. He has denied these charges.

Linehan, is the Irish comedy writer best known for creating the sitcoms Father TedThe IT Crowd, and Black Books. He has become a prominent and outspoken critic of transgender rights movements since around 2018.

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