SpaceflightMemes

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threelonmusketeers

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Technically correct, but what a headline (i.redd.it)

submitted 3 weeks ago by threelonmusketeers to c/spaceflightmemes

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[–] threelonmusketeers 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Good point. Starliner was always the plan in the event of an emergency evacuation, and there was also "lie on the floor of the Crew-8 Dragon" as a backup for the brief period between empty the Starliner return and the launch of Crew-9.

[–] verity_kindle 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Really? Le big bags of wee can travel back to Earth on the deck in an emergency? What about the g forces? I thought the 'nauts needed custom molded seats to help distribute the force over the lungs, cardiovascular, etc. so they don't pass out as easily. Seriously, can I have the sauce?

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I suppose "lie on the floor" was a bit of an exaggeration. It likely would have involved the transfer of the seats, or at least the seat liners, from Starliner.

NASA didn't release much info on the contingency plans, but there was brief mention of it in an ARS Technica article a while back: https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/yes-nasa-really-could-bring-starliners-astronauts-back-on-crew-dragon/

NASA issued a $266,678 task award to SpaceX on July 14 for a "special study for emergency response." NASA said this study was not directly related to Starliner's problems, but two sources told Ars it really was. Although the study entailed work on flying more than four crew members home on Crew Dragon—a scenario related to Frank Rubio and the Soyuz MS-22 leaks—it also allowed SpaceX to study flying Dragon home with six passengers, a regular crew complement in addition to Wilmore and Williams.

In my opinion, the biggest risk unmitigatable risk would have been the lack of ports in Dragon for Butch and Suni to plug their Starliner IVA suits into.

[–] ptfrd 3 points 1 week ago

I think NASA released a photo of the makeshift seats. Probably around the time they were dismantled, after Crew-9 had arrived. Can't find it though.

[–] verity_kindle 2 points 1 week ago

Ah, ok, big canisters of air mix to secure them (with coated cable ties?) next to the improvised seats and all linked to the state of the art Boeing made suits, so they can breathe, at least. Perfection. XD