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Preguntas frecuentes: Estado del retorno de la prueba de vuelo tripulado Boeing de la NASA


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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Read the article in English here.

Los astronautas de la NASA Butch Wilmore y Suni Williams llegaron al laboratorio orbital el 6 de junio a bordo de la nave Boeing Starliner tras despegar el 5 de junio del Complejo de Lanzamiento Espacial-41 de la Estación Espacial de Cabo Cañaveral, en Florida.

Durante el vuelo de Starliner a la estación espacial, los ingenieros observaron que algunos de los propulsores de la nave no funcionaban como se esperaba y también se observaron varias fugas en el sistema de helio de Starliner. Desde entonces, los equipos de ingeniería de la NASA y Boeing han llevado a cabo varias pruebas de los propulsores, así como revisiones exhaustivas de los datos para comprender mejor la nave espacial. Mientras los ingenieros se esfuerzan por resolver los problemas técnicos antes del regreso del Starliner a la Tierra, el dúo de astronautas ha estado trabajando con la tripulación de la Expedición 71, realizando investigaciones científicas y actividades de mantenimiento.

La NASA tiene previsto llevar a cabo dos revisiones: una del junta de control del programa y una revisión del estado de preparación para el vuelo de la agencia, antes de decidir cómo regresará de manera segura a Wilmore y Williams de la. La NASA espera tomar una decisión sobre el curso a seguir a finales de agosto.

He aquí algunas preguntas frecuentes sobre su misión.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This view is from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the port adjacent to the Starliner.

Sobre la misión y su retraso

¿Qué es la prueba de vuelo tripulado Boeing de la NASA?

La la prueba de vuelo tripulado Boeing de la NASA despegó el 5 de junio y es el primer vuelo con astronautas de la nave Starliner a la Estación Espacial Internacional. La prueba de vuelo tiene como objetivo demostrar que el sistema está preparado para misiones de rotación a la estación espacial. La NASA quiere que, además de las naves Soyuz de Roscosmos, haya dos naves estadounidenses capaces de transportar astronautas para garantizar una tripulación permanente a bordo del complejo orbital.

¿Cuáles son los objetivos de la prueba de vuelo tripulado?

Esta prueba de vuelo tiene por objeto demostrar la aptitud del Starliner para ejecutar una misión de rotación de seis meses a la estación espacial. Los objetivos de la prueba de vuelo se desarrollaron para respaldar el proceso de certificación de la NASA y recopilar los datos de rendimiento necesarios para evaluar la preparación antes de los vuelos de larga duración.

¿Por qué la prueba de vuelo tripulado permanecerá más tiempo del previsto a bordo de la estación espacial?

Durante el vuelo de Starliner a la estación espacial, algunos de los propulsores de la nave no funcionaron como se esperaba y se observaron varias fugas en el sistema de helio de Starliner. Aunque la duración inicial de la misión estaba prevista en torno a una semana, no hay prisa por traer de vuelta a casa a la tripulación, por lo que la NASA y Boeing se están tomando un tiempo extra para aprender sobre la nave espacial. Se trata de una lección aprendida del accidente del transbordador espacial Columbia. Nuestros equipos de la NASA y Boeing están estudiando minuciosamente los datos de las pruebas y análisis adicionales en el espacio y en tierra, proporcionando a los gestores de la misión datos para tomar la mejor y más segura decisión sobre cómo y cuándo traer de vuelta a casa a la tripulación.

Si se diera una emergencia en la estación espacial, ¿cómo volverían Butch y Suni a casa?

El Starliner sigue siendo la principal opción para Butch y Suni si se produjera una emergencia y tuvieran que abandonar rápidamente la estación. No existe una necesidad urgente de traerlos a casa, y la NASA está utilizando el tiempo extra para comprender los problemas técnicos de la nave espacial antes de decidir un plan de regreso.

¿Cuánto tiempo podrían permanecer Butch y Suni en la estación espacial si no regresan a bordo de Starliner?

Si la NASA decidiera devolver la nave Starliner sin tripulación, Butch y Suni permanecerían a bordo de la estación hasta finales de febrero de 2025. La NASA replanificaría la misión SpaceX Crew-9, enviando solo dos tripulantes en lugar de cuatro a finales de septiembre. Butch y Suni regresarían a la Tierra tras el incremento programado para Crew-9 a principios del próximo año.

¿Se quedarán Butch y Suni en el espacio hasta 2025?

No se ha tomado ninguna decisión. La NASA sigue evaluando todas las opciones a medida que aprende más sobre el sistema de propulsión de Starliner. Butch y Suni podrían regresar a bordo de Starliner, o podrían volver como parte de la misión SpaceX Crew-9 de la agencia a principios del año que viene.

¿Puede Starliner volar sin astronautas?

Sí, Starliner puede desacoplarse y abandonar la órbita de forma autónoma, si la NASA decide que la nave regrese sin tripulación.

¿Podría la NASA enviar una nave SpaceX Dragon para traer de vuelta a Butch y Suni?

If NASA decides to return them aboard a SpaceX Dragon, NASA will replan its SpaceX Crew-9 mission by launching only two crew members in late September instead of four. Butch and Suni would then return to Earth after the regularly scheduled Crew-9 increment early next year.

¿Por qué necesita la NASA dos sistemas de transporte de tripulación?

The main goal of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is two, unique human spaceflight systems. Should any one system encounter an issue, NASA still has the capability to launch and return crew to ensure safety and a continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station.

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore (at center) pose with Expedition 71 Flight Engineers (far left) Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson (far right), both NASA astronauts, in their spacesuits aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

Sobre los astronautas

¿Están Butch y Suni atrapados en la estación espacial?

No, Butch y Suni están a salvo a bordo de la estación espacial, trabajando junto a la tripulación de la Expedición 71. También han participado activamente en las pruebas y reuniones técnicas del Starliner. Butch y Suni podrían volver a casa a bordo de la nave Starliner en caso de emergencia. La agencia también dispone de otras opciones de regreso, en caso necesario, tanto para la planificación de contingencias como para el regreso en condiciones normales.

¿Están preparados Suni y Butch para una estancia más larga en la estación?

Butch y Suni ya han realizado dos estancias de larga duración a bordo de la estación. Los astronautas de la NASA se embarcan en misiones plenamente conscientes de los diversos escenarios que podrían materializarse. Esta misión no es diferente, y entendían las posibilidades e incógnitas de este vuelo de prueba, incluyendo la posibilidad de permanecer a bordo de la estación más tiempo del previsto.

¿Cuánto duraría una estancia prolongada de Butch y Suni en comparación con la duración de otras misiones en la estación espacial?

Una estancia típica a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional es de unos seis meses, y algunos astronautas de la NASA han permanecido en la estación espacial durante misiones de mayor duración. Las misiones anteriores han proporcionado a la NASA gran cantidad de datos sobre los vuelos espaciales de larga duración y sus efectos en el cuerpo humano, que la agencia aplica a cualquier misión con tripulación.

¿Tienen los astronautas todo lo que necesitan (por ejemplo, comida, ropa, oxígeno, artículos personales, etc.)?

Sí. La Estación Espacial Internacional está bien provista de todo lo que necesita la tripulación, incluidos alimentos, agua, ropa y oxígeno. Además, la NASA y sus socios de la estación espacial lanzan con frecuencia misiones de reabastecimiento al complejo orbital con suministros y carga adicionales.

Recientemente, llegaron a la estación una nave espacial Cygnus de Northrop Grumman que transportaba 3.720 kilogramos (8.200 libras) de alimentos, combustible, suministros y material científico, y una nave espacial de reabastecimiento Progress que transportaba 2.721 kilogramos (6.000 libras) de carga. La NASA tiene previstas misiones adicionales de SpaceX de reabastecimiento durante lo que queda de 2024.

¿Qué están haciendo a bordo de la estación espacial?

La tripulación sigue supervisando los sistemas de vuelo del Starliner y recopilando datos de rendimiento para la certificación de sistemas. La NASA también está aprovechando el tiempo extra de Butch y Suni a bordo del laboratorio orbital, donde han completado varios experimentos científicos, tareas de mantenimiento y han colaborado en los preparativos de las caminatas espaciales. Algunos de los experimentos científicos que han llevado a cabo recientemente incluyen nuevas formas de producir cables de fibra óptica y el cultivo de plantas a bordo del complejo orbital.

¿Pueden hablar con sus familiares y amigos?

Butch y Suni disfrutan de muchas de las comodidades que tenemos aquí en la Tierra. Pueden enviar correos electrónicos, llamar por teléfono y hacer videoconferencias con sus familiares y amigos cuando tienen tiempo libre a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional.

iss071e217183 (June 25, 2024) -- As the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above Earth, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore captured this image of Spain and Morocco. The Strait of Gibraltar separates the two countries and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Sobre el plan de regreso

¿Cuáles son las otras opciones para traer de vuelta a Butch y Suni?

La NASA dispone de dos sistemas estadounidenses de transporte espacial capaces de transportar tripulación a la estación y de vuelta. Aunque no se ha tomado ninguna decisión, la NASA está considerando varias opciones para hacer regresar a Butch y Suni de la estación espacial, incluido su retorno a bordo de la nave Starliner, si se autoriza, o como parte de la misión SpaceX Crew-9 de la agencia en febrero de 2025.

¿Es más seguro traerlos a casa a bordo de una nave Dragon de SpaceX?

Los vuelos de prueba tripulados son intrínsecamente arriesgados y, aunque las misiones de rotación puedan parecer rutinarias, tampoco están exentas de riesgos. Es competencia de la NASA evaluar ese riesgo antes de cada vuelo y determinar si es aceptable para la tripulación.

¿Qué otras medidas está tomando la NASA para traerlos a casa?

La NASA ajustó el lanzamiento de la Tripulación-9 de SpaceX y el regreso de la Tripulación-8 de la agencia, lo que permite más tiempo para finalizar los planes de regreso de Starliner. La NASA también está examinando las asignaciones de tripulación para garantizar que Butch y Suni puedan regresar con Crew-9 si fuera necesario.

Para consultar el blog de la NASA y obtener más información sobre la misión (en inglés), visita: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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      Lane Figueroa
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      Editor’s Note: The following is one of three related articles about the NASA Data Acquisition System and related efforts. Please visit Stennis News – NASA to access accompanying articles.
      A blended team of NASA personnel and contractors support ongoing development and operation of the NASA Data Acquisition System at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Team members include, left to right: Andrew Graves (NASA), Shane Cravens (Syncom Space Services), Peggi Marshall (Syncom Space Services), Nicholas Payton Karno (Syncom Space Services), Alex Elliot (NASA), Kris Mobbs (NASA), Brandon Carver (NASA), Richard Smith (Syncom Space Services), and David Carver (NASA)NASA/Danny Nowlin Members of the NASA Data Acquisition System team at NASA’s Stennis Space Center evaluate system hardware for use in monitoring and collecting propulsion test data at the site.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA software engineer Alex Elliot, right, and Syncom Space Services software engineer Peggi Marshall fine-tune data acquisition equipment at NASA’s Stennis Space Center by adjusting an oscilloscope to capture precise measurements. NASA/Danny Nowlin Syncom Space Services software test engineer Nicholas Payton Karno monitors a lab console at NASA’s Stennis Space Center displaying video footage of an RS-25 engine gimbal test, alongside data acquisition screens showing lab measurements. NASA/Danny Nowlin Just as a steady heartbeat is critical to staying alive, propulsion test data is vital to ensure engines and systems perform flawlessly.
      The accuracy of the data produced during hot fire tests at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, tells the performance story.
      So, when NASA needed a standardized way to collect hot fire data across test facilities, an onsite team created an adaptable software tool to do it.
      “The NASA Data Acquisition System (NDAS) developed at NASA Stennis is a forward-thinking solution,” said David Carver, acting chief of the Office of Test Data and Information Management. “It has unified NASA’s rocket propulsion testing under an adaptable software suite to meet needs with room for future expansion, both within NASA and potentially beyond.”
      Before NDAS, contractors conducting test projects used various proprietary tools to gather performance data, which made cross-collaboration difficult. NDAS takes a one-size-fits-all approach, providing NASA with its own system to ensure consistency.
      “Test teams in the past had to develop their own software tools, but now, they can focus on propulsion testing while the NDAS team focuses on developing the software that collects data,” said Carver.
      A more efficient workflow has followed since the software system is designed to work with any test hardware. It allows engineers to seamlessly work between test areas, even when upgrades have been made and hardware has changed, to support hot fire requirements for the agency and commercial customers.
      With the backing and resources of the NASA Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Program Office, a blended team of NASA personnel and contractors began developing NDAS in 2011 as part of the agency’s move to resume control of test operations at NASA Stennis. Commercial entities had conducted the operations on NASA’s behalf for several decades.
      The NASA Stennis team wrote the NDAS software code with modular components that function independently and can be updated to meet the needs of each test facility. The team used LabVIEW, a graphical platform that allows developers to build software visually rather than using traditional text-based code.
      Syncom Space Services software engineer Richard Smith, front, analyzes test results using the NASA Data Acquisition System Displays interface at NASA’s Stennis Space Center while NASA software engineer Brandon Carver actively tests and develops laboratory equipment. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA engineers, from left to right, Tristan Mooney, Steven Helmstetter Chase Aubry, and Christoffer Barnett-Woods are shown in the E-1 Test Control Center where the NASA Data Acquisition System is utilized for propulsion test activities. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA engineers Steven Helmstetter, Christoffer Barnett-Woods, and Tristan Mooney perform checkouts on a large data acquisition system for the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The data acquisition hardware, which supports testing for E Test Complex commercial customers, is controlled by NASA Data Acquisition System software that allows engineers to view real-time data while troubleshooting hardware configuration.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA engineers Steven Helmstetter, left, and Tristan Mooney work with the NASA Data Acquisition System in the E-1 Test Control Center, where the system is utilized for propulsion test activities.NASA/Danny Nowlin “These were very good decisions by the original team looking toward the future,” said Joe Lacher, a previous NASA project manager. “LabVIEW was a new language and is now taught in colleges and widely used in industry. Making the program modular made it adaptable.”
      During propulsion tests, the NDAS system captures both high-speed and low-speed sensor data. The raw sensor data is converted into units for both real-time monitoring and post-test analysis.
      During non-test operations, the system monitors the facility and test article systems to help ensure the general health and safety of the facility and personnel.
      “Having quality software for instrumentation and data recording systems is critical and, in recent years, has become increasingly important,” said Tristan Mooney, NASA instrumentation engineer. “Long ago, the systems used less software, or even none at all. Amplifiers were configured with physical knobs, and data was recorded on tape or paper charts. Today, we use computers to configure, display, and store data for nearly everything.”
      Developers demonstrated the new system on the A-2 Test Stand in 2014 for the J-2X engine test project.
      From there, the team rolled it out on the Fred Haise Test Stand (formerly A-1), where it has been used for RS-25 engine testing since 2015. A year later, teams used NDAS on the Thad Cochran Test Stand (formerly B-2) in 2016 to support SLS (Space Launch System) Green Run testing for future Artemis missions.
      One of the project goals for the system is to provide a common user experience to drive consistency across test complexes and centers.
      Kris Mobbs, current NASA project manager for NDAS, said the system “really shined” during the core stage testing. “We ran 24-hour shifts, so we had people from across the test complex working on Green Run,” Mobbs said. “When the different shifts came to work, there was not a big transition needed. Using the software for troubleshooting, getting access to views, and seeing the measurements were very common activities, so the various teams did not have a lot of build-up time to support that test.”
      Following success at the larger test stands, teams started using NDAS in the E Test Complex in 2017, first at the E-2 Test Stand, then on the E-1 and E-3 stands in 2020.
      Growth of the project was “a little overwhelming,” Lacher recalled. The team maintained the software on active stands supporting tests, while also continuing to develop the software for other areas and their many unique requirements.
      Each request for change had to be tracked, implemented into the code, tested in the lab, then deployed and validated on the test stands.
      “This confluence of requirements tested my knowledge of every stand and its uniqueness,” said Lacher. “I had to understand the need, the effort to meet it, and then had to make decisions as to the priorities the team would work on first.”
      Creation of the data system and its ongoing updates have transformed into opportunities for growth among the NASA Stennis teams working together.
      “From a mechanical test operations perspective, NDAS has been a pretty easy system to learn,” said Derek Zacher, NASA test operations engineer. “The developers are responsive to the team’s ideas for improvement, and our experience has consistently improved with the changes that enable us to view our data in new ways.”
      Originally designed to support the RPT office at NASA Stennis, the software is expanding beyond south Mississippi to other test centers, attracting interest from various NASA programs and projects, and garnering attention from government agencies that require reliable and scalable data acquisition. “It can be adopted nearly anywhere, such as aerospace and defense, research and development institutions and more places, where data acquisition systems are needed,” said Mobbs. “It is an ever-evolving solution.”
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      Last Updated May 08, 2025 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related Terms
      Stennis Space Center View the full article
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