Starliner spacesuits not compatible with SpaceX Dragon

boingboing.net Just a moment...

31 comments

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 removed 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?
- 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.
  
  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.
  
  Because these contracts aren't about creating something. They are about funneling wealth to the already wealthy.
- 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
  
  Sergei Krikalev was stuck on the Mir space station for 311 days after the Soviet Union broke up.
- 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.

How could they not think of this during design? Rocket science, my ass.
- 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.
  
  In most fields, even private companies understand the need for industry standards.
- Elon and his companies seem to have a propensity for preferring proprietary bullshit over standards
  
  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.
  
  That's because you are illiterate in the matter and want to criticize spacex for the sake of it.Unfortunately there is no current "standard" for space suits.
  
  I don't think there is a standard. NASA should have mandated something in this department.

This Starliner debacle just keeps getting better and better.

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.

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