Starliner spacesuits not compatible with SpaceX Dragon (boingboing.net)

submitted 2 months ago by TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com to c/space@lemmy.world

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[-] Carighan@lemmy.world 77 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I mean this is a direct result of privatising this particular field, granted.

Though even then, this is something that should have been flat-out mandated when the contracts where going out: "You'll be compatible with one another, and don't even dare start a sentence bitching about it or this contract is immediately torn up".

But damn... this must be so weird for the two astronauts. Second time something on this scale has happened, no? Where someone was uncertainly "stranded" in space? After the stuff with the blown oxygen tank on one of the Apollo missions?

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 30 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It is a touch surprising that a discussion like

we have standardized electrical, fluid, and gaseous connectors. You will conform to their hardware interface specifications if you want the contract accepted. This is not a debate.

never occurred.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I have zero doubt the lawyers (probably contractors) involved with writing up the contracts aren't also in the pockets of the "competing" corporations.

Even if it wasn't defined in the contract, the competitors knew of each others involvement and made no effort to address a very obvious engineering necessity (probably brpught up by engineers at both companies) — management (at the very least) let this happen on purpose, as a strategic decision.

It's all part of the hyper efficiency of privatizing profits and regulatory capture.

[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social -5 points 2 months ago

Because these contracts aren't about creating something. They are about funneling wealth to the already wealthy.

[-] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 months ago

The crew of Apollo 13 weren't really stranded, as such. They were far from home and not sure if they had the means to get home before the supplies ran out, which is a different problem

[-] nslatz@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

Sergei Krikalev was stuck on the Mir space station for 311 days after the Soviet Union broke up.

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago

What an absolutely wild situation to be in.

go to space
your country becomes another country while you’re there
congrats on your new citizenship, I guess…?

[-] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

Tom Hanks in The Terminal 2: Waiting for Korolev

[-] mercano@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

It was intentionally not specified. NASA wanted two dissimilar spacecraft so a flaw with one wouldn’t ground the other. If they had specified a common space suit and an issue came up with it, then both Dragon and Starliner would be out of action.

[-] Travelator@thelemmy.club 23 points 2 months ago

How could they not think of this during design? Rocket science, my ass.

[-] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 37 points 2 months ago

Private companies competing for things ends up with stuff like this. Unless NASA or someone designs a spec and contractually enforces everyone to implement it, problems like this can crop up in all kinds of places.

[-] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 2 months ago

In most fields, even private companies understand the need for industry standards.

[-] astrsk@fedia.io 13 points 2 months ago

And in new fields of privatization, someone has to win out on the standard. It should have been NASA demanding an interoperable spec but someone will win out here eventually and it will be standard in the future.

[-] robolemmy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

XLCD: Standards

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

When you make a new standard to consolidate related-but-drifting standards, all you’ve done is make n+1 standards.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

XLCD

Ah yes, XLCD, created by Rbndall Mvnroe.

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

Yeah, like how Apple works with other phone and tablet manufacturers to use a unified charging and data port.

[-] astrsk@fedia.io 3 points 2 months ago

I can’t tell if this is sarcastic because Apple contributed over 20% of the engineers credited with developing USB-C.

All told, Apple contributed 18 of 79 named engineers listed on the connector certification project or under 23%. 9to5

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It's sarcasm, because it took EU legislation to force them to actually fucking use it in their phones a decade later.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

They don't contribute engineers out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for entirely selfish reasons — to have a large influence in industry standards, and the competitive advantages that enables.

Do you also believe Google created Chrome for "freedom", instead of to gain a competitive advantage in web and ad tech standards?

[-] BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Only when it's their standard most of the time, which is the reason why we have so many standards for so many things that do basically the same thing

[-] witx@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

And that's why we have the EU telling apple and their fanboys to eat shit and use USB-C :) without these legislators we get the chaos you mention

For consumer products I don't agree with enforcing it through the beginning though as it might hinder innovation. But once you have a few working cases you enforce the better one

[-] 9point6@lemmy.world -3 points 2 months ago

Elon and his companies seem to have a propensity for preferring proprietary bullshit over standards

[-] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

There is no general spacesuit "standard". Suits up to this point have all been designed for a specific purpose and often even a specific vehicle. Newer vehicles have used newer suit designs to go with them. The upcoming Orion system for Artemis uses an entirely new and different suit as well. Not to mention the Russian and Chinese suits are different as well to work with their vehicles.

[-] dgriffith@aussie.zone 5 points 2 months ago

So what we need to do is keep a bunch of umbilical adaptor hoses in the glovebox of every spacecraft.

"Do we have a Boeing to SpaceX adaptor?"

"No but we can do Boeing to ESA to Soyuz to Shuttle to SpaceX. It's 8 feet long but it will work."

"Good enough then."

[-] burble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 months ago

The internet would absolutely lose it if SpaceX started selling dongles.

[-] witx@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 2 months ago

That's because you are illiterate in the matter and want to criticize spacex for the sake of it. There is no current "standard" for space suits.

[-] kokesh@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

I don't think there is a standard. NASA should have mandated something in this department.

[-] hydroptic@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 months ago

This Starliner debacle just keeps getting better and better.

[-] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 months ago

I think SpaceX stated a while ago that they have two suits that could fit Wilmore and William that could do up with the next dragon.

this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2024

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