rescue

Boeing has come to the rescue

by

We have not returned to the Moon since the mission Apollo 17in December 1972. Maybe that mission doesn’t sound particularly familiar to you, and that’s completely normal. Of all the times we have approached or walked by our satellitemost people remember the mission Apollo 11 by Neil Armstrong’s famous quote, “It’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” and, possibly, the Apollo 13not because it was a success, but because one of the oxygen tanks exploded and, fortunately, the astronauts managed to save themselves. Fifty-three years later, we are closer than ever to revisiting the one that illuminates us when the sun goes down. We will do so with the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch as soon as February 2026. But this return is not without challenges. And we are not talking about the delays of the Artemis program, which are not always really delaysbut of a piece as common as it is indispensable: the vehicle that takes astronauts from their bedrooms to the spacecraft that will transport them to the Moon. And someone has come to the rescue of NASA. Returning to the Moon is not just a matter of rockets Historically, astronauts have used the well-known Astrovan to get around from the operations building to the launch pad. From the STS-9 mission of the space shuttle Columbia, in 1983, until the end of the program with the STS-135 mission of the Atlantis, in 2011, a Airstream Excella of 1983 modified specifically for the transport of astronauts. And since NASA has not had its own system to launch astronauts into space since the end of the shuttle program, SpaceX and Boeing, the two American contractors that have assumed this role, have used their own vehicles, turning the historic Airstream Excella into a museum piece. The Artemis program became a good excuse to take a step towards modernity and incorporate, of course, an electric vehicle to transport astronauts. Under this premise, NASA announced in July 2022 that the astronauts of the Artemis program would move in vehicles from Canoo Technologies, an American startup. The fleet would be made up of three vans based on the Lifestyle Vehicle (LV), a model that, strikingly, had not even begun to be sold at the time of the announcement. Even so, there was a vote of confidence and, of course, a contract involved that required compliance. The Canoo vehicles that NASA bought Everything seemed to be progressing without visible setbacks, but things were getting complicated inside. In summary, the company published a press release on its website, which can only be consulted on the Internet Archivein which it voluntarily filed for Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. This implies the cessation of its operations and the liquidation of all its assets. The vehicles had already been delivered to NASA, but using them left one question in the air: if a technical problem arose, who would respond? It was time to make a decision. The original Astrovan With the “countdown” underway for the launch of Artemis II, the US agency’s options were not many. Go out and find a new contractor? NASA had already paid for three Canoo vehicles that now lacked operational support. So there were two alternatives at home: use the Tesla Model employed by SpaceX or resort to the Boeing Astrovan II. Finally, NASA opted for this second option, at least as explained by the agency itself. in a statement provided to the Orlando television network Spectrum News 13. The solution is to temporarily rent the Boeing vehicle for, at least, the Artemis II mission, while other options for the future are evaluated. Boeing’s Astrovan II It is worth remembering that, although the transportation of astronauts before a mission may seem like a minor detail, it is not at all. It is a highly tense situation in which everything must flow with millimeter precision, and the comfort and conditions of the crew are key. So much so that these vehicles are adapted to meet NASA’s strict specifications and have everything necessary so that astronauts can move around with the Orion survival system spacesuits. It’s not as simple as getting into any car and that’s it. Boeing’s Astrovan II The Astrovan II is the result of a collaboration between the caravan firm Airstream and Boeing. It is, in essence, a modified Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4500driven by a Mercedes-Benz 2.0 liter diesel engine and four cylinders with turbo. It features custom seating, USB charging stations, 110V power outlets, and a live TV broadcast system, as well as being ready to welcome astronauts in their suits. As expected, there are those who are in favor and those who are critical of this decision, but on paper it seems the most logical option. And if you’re wondering if the Astrovan II has ever been used before, the answer is yes. The vehicle debuted on the Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boe-CFT) mission, launched on June 5, 2024. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams were transported in it from the Kennedy Space Center to the launch pad of the Starliner Calypso capsule. That was, precisely, the mission in which the capsule had problems and the astronauts ended up returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX ship. Images | POT | Boeing | Canoo In Xataka | We have filled the Earth’s orbit with satellites. And now the risk of a catastrophic collision is very high

How China has managed to rescue its astronauts in record time when it took the US months

by

Last year, Boeing starred in a space drama that kept the world in suspense: the Starliner crisis. After discovering leaks and failures in its propellers, NASA took months between deliberations, tests and safety meetings to finally decide that the astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams They would not return in their ship, but would wait for SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission to return. Now, China has faced a similar scenario that it has resolved in a few days. The haste has its explanation. A cracked window. The news broke on November 5. The Shenzhou-20 mission, crewed by Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, was preparing to return to Earth after six months at the Chinese Tiangong space station. However, during inspections prior to undocking, the astronauts detected an anomaly that so it was not made publicbut that we now know: “small cracks” in the external glass of one of the capsule windows. After analyzing photographs and running simulations in wind tunnels, CMSA (China Manned Space Agency) engineers determined that the damage had possibly been caused by the impact of micrometeoroids or small fragments of space junkcompromising the structural integrity of the ship. The conclusion put Chinese astronauts in a bind: the capsule “did not meet the conditions for a safe manned return.” The game of chairs in orbit. Unlike the International Space Station, the Tiangong space station cannot accommodate six astronauts for a long time, so the Shenzhou-20 crew had to be brought in as soon as possible. China always maintains a Shenzhou ship and a CZ-2F rocket ready to take off in case of emergency. However, on this occasion, the CMSA ruled out launching the new Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to bring back the three stranded astronauts because it “included instrument upgrades for which the outgoing crew had not been trained.” The solution chosen to bring the crew back was, therefore, to do so aboard the Shenzhou-21 ship that had arrived with three other astronauts two weeks earlier. A literal change of chairs (they had to move the adapted seats from one ship to another) and with a single sacrifice: leaving the three crew members of the Shenzhou-21 at the mercy of a compromised ship (the Shenzhou-20) in the event of an emergency. In summary. The three outgoing astronauts They landed safely on November 14 aboard the ship of his three incoming companions. The reason why this exchange of ships was faster than in the case of the Starliner or, a year earlier, the Russian Soyuz MS-22, was, on the one hand, that the Tiangong station is not yet large enough for six people to live in, and on the other, that the replacement ship was already there. What cost NASA months of risk analysis and public relations management with Boeing, China solved in a matter of days thanks to the availability of spacecraft. The logistical sacrifice is that the crew of the Shenzhou-21 (which will stay in space for six months) has had to give up their “lifeboat” until the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft is launched without a crew as a new return vehicle. The Shenzhou-20 will return empty to analyze its damage on the ground, if it ultimately survives re-entry. Image | CGTN In Xataka | The only photo you need to understand the scale of what Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ company, has just done

When the Titan submarine exploded there was nothing left to rescue. Except one very important thing: a memory card

by

It has been more than two years since the Titan submarine tragedy and the story continues to make people talk. The last thing we know is that the recovery teams found the camera that was part of the submarine. The camera was damaged, but inside it housed a memory card from which they were able to extract image and video files, although none from the implosion. The discovery. Youtuber Scott Manley told it in your X account. In a series of posts, Manley has published several images of the camera’s recovery report detailing its characteristics and condition. It was a Rayfin Mk2 Benthic underwater cameracapable of submerging up to 6,000 meters deep thanks to its titanium body. Although the case appeared intact, the sapphire crystal lens was shattered. Upon disassembly, many of the components had light damage, but one of the boards included an SD card that was in good condition. The content of the card. Investigators and forensics managed to make a duplicate of the card and extract the contents. In total, they obtained nine images and twelve videos. However, the camera had been configured to save the captures on an external storage device, so it did not contain any images from the day of the fateful dive, but rather they were images taken at the Marine Institute in Newfoundland, which was where the missions to the Titanic departed. In the images they have shared you can see the facilities and some underwater images, but at shallow depths. Catastrophic implosion. The Titan left Newfoundland on June 16, 2023. An hour and 45 minutes had passed when communication was lost, but it was not until four days later that the coast guard found the first remains of the vehicle and confirmed what they suspected: it had imploded. They found remains of the vehicle, but no body of the five crew members could be found. It was avoidable. The Titanic is located at a depth of 3,800 meters, where the pressure is 380 atmospheres. There is vehicles capable of reaching this depth and even more, but the Titan had a long history of problems and his own Former director of operations called the tragedy avoidable. In fact, several members of the underwater exploration community, including James Cameron, They had written a letter to OceanGate where they expressed their concern and assured that they were “going down the path of catastrophe.” The company ceased its activity after the accident. Image | Scott Manley in X In Xataka | Seven questions (and seven answers) about what really happened to the Titanic submarine

If the question is why the US wants to rescue Argentina with a fortune, the answer has two ingredients: China and Lithium

by

Argentina entered again in Turbulence zone Despite the drastic fiscal and monetary adjustment of Javier Milei. A bulky defeat in provincial elections, the erosion of support in Congress and a corruption scandal that splashes their surroundings fired the doubts of the investors, forced sales of reservations by More than 1 billion of dollars in three days to defend the exchange band and approached the weight to the lower limit of the corridor. And then he The United States appeared With a briefcase under your arm. American help. Yes, the reaction was a political-financial turn of Washington: the Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, defined Argentina As “systemically important ally in Latin America” ​​and announced that “all options” were on the table to stabilize the markets, an explicit wink to the “whatver it Takes” of Mario Draghi in 2012. The message, a priori, had immediate effect on prices and expectations, but opened a greater debate about the scope, incentives and the risks of such support. What has been promised and how. The United States Treasury discusses a swap line with Buenos Aires of 20,000 million of dollars with the Central Bank and the possibility of buying sovereign debt in dollars from Argentina, in addition to making direct currency purchases if the conditions justify it. The operational tool would be the so -called Exchange Stabilization Fundwith wide discretionary margin to intervene in foreign exchange and assets, used in 1995 To help Mexico. Besent added that the treasure “is prepared” to acquire bonds and offer backup credit. Trump himself, after meeting with Milei, affirmed that will help, although he said “I don’t think they need a rescue,” framing assistance as access to “good debt” and market liquidity. In parallel, Milei sought internal oxygen suspending temporarily Grain export taxes to accelerate the flow of commercial dollars, while keeping operational, although partially activated, The swap line With the Popular Bank of China (18,000 million, of which about 5,000 are active). The small print. The announcement acted as a short circuit: The peso bounced, the 2029 and 2035 bonds recovered between 6 and 7 cents and the yield of 10 years in dollars fell from 17% to ~ 15%. Great managers They celebrated the signalunderlining that it provides a “critical window” to the legislative. However, investors requested details: effective volume, deadlines, conditions and intervention triggers. The Treasury He has suggested Absence of “conditionality” added to that of the IMF, but the practice usually imposes safeguards. In “House”, the package faces resistance: Criticism in Congress American questions to allocate emergency funds to sustain the currency and assets of a third party, with the political risk of being perceived as a lifeguard to Trump’s personal ally. Strategic reasons: why. The Analysts coincide With a clearly geopolitical reason: reduce dependence Argentina from China in financing, swaps and access to critical minerals Like lithiumand strengthen an openly government Pro-Mercado and aligned With Washington. The second It is financial: Prevent an episode of regional systemic instability due about 35% of the living support of the background on a global scale. The third may be of global signal: reaffirm the capacity of the United States to stabilize emerging markets with sovereign instruments, projecting financial power in a context of strategic competence. And the fourth, more tactical, purely electoral: Prevent short -term stress Extra ball: Meme politics. An added, less economical and more symbolic factor is politics turned into “Meme”. Just like Bukele He built prisons In El Salvador for ICE deportees as a gesture to Trump, Milei has earned a place within the magician imaginary in the United States for Your incendiary stylehis rejection of the establishment and His libertarian rhetoric. Under that prism, the current White House is willing to hold it because it embodies a political-cultural ally More than institutional, if you want to also, a kind of entry between “politically incorrect countries” that lend mutual support. If instead of Milei will govern A classic Peronista rescue of this size would have hardly been articulated, although, paradoxically, Trump shares with Peronism more related features than with the libertarian ideology that Milei proclaims. Lithium site A NAFTA as a counterpart. It We have counted before. Another angle to consider is the possibility that the financial rescue serves as prelude to an eventual Free Trade Agreement Between the United States and Argentina, a play that would fit with the interests of both parties. For Washington, it would be a way to shield access to strategic raw materials under a stable institutional framework and without the threat that Beijing capitalizes them through state investments. For Milei, a NAFTA with the world’s first economy would be political and economic support Of enormous value, with the ability to attract private capital, reduce financing and consolidate its image of “reliable partner” within the western block. The scenario, which is known, is not formally at the table, but the background of the rescue makes it a plausible possibility: the United States does not usually move chips of this magnitude without also binding long -term commercial commitments. The Argentine structural problem. The Financial Times counted This week that “shock therapy” stopped hyperinflationary drift, but the economy is still caught in A monetary duality that makes the system dependent and vulnerable to twists of feeling: each capital output realizes distrust in the peso and forces expensive defenses with few reserves. In this framework, the discussion about dollarization returns to the center: Milei champied her In campaign, then postponed it for its costs (loss of monetary policy, impossibility of adjusting by exchange rate and binding external cycles), but broad support from the United States could reopen it. Regional experience (Ecuador) and The European They teach to enter is easy and get almost impossible. Without tax reforms, productivity, exchange regime and institutional credibility, assistance can become a expensive and ephemeral patch. China and Treasures. As we said, the “nuclear” aims to remove Buenos Aires from the Chinese orbit in the dispute for strategic resources. The lithium of the “triangle” that integrates Argentina, … Read more

Elon Musk says he will rescue the two astronauts stranded in the space at Trump. The problem is that

by

A incendiary message. “The president of the United States has asked Spacex to bring the two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station as soon as possible,” Elon Musk wrote In his profile of X. “It is terrible that the Biden administration has left them there for so long.” After 20 minutes, more than one million people have seen the message, which Musk apostilled answering “true” to the following answer: “The hatred they had was greater than their desire to rescue those astronauts.” A little context. In June 2024, two astronauts arrived at the International Space Station aboard the Starliner spacecraft, Boeing’s alternative to the Crew Dragon of Spacex. The ship had to spend a week in orbit before returning to Earth, but A failure in the propulsion system During the first leg he made three months undergoing And finally I would go empty. Elon Musk’s X messages about astronauts Elon Musk lies. No one will be surprised at this point that Musk publishes propaganda in his X profile, but the message misrepresent the reality in a particularly fantasy way. While it is true that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still in space since June, they are not stranded. SPACEX CREW-9 MISSION took off in September 2024long before Trump assumed the presidency, with two empty seats to bring them back. So why do they continue in the ISS? It was the plan provided by NASA. Wilmore and Williams were reallocated to the CREW-9 mission and became part of the permanent crew of the International Space Station. Williams is, in fact, the commander of expedition 72, and He has just taken a space walk As part of your tasks. That NASA did not ask Spacex to look for them immediately has nothing to do with the hatred of Musk, but that there was no crew dragon to immediately available. The most logical solution was to get two astronauts out of the next round trip (the CREW-9 mission) to leave two free seats. And now what? The return of the CREW-9 mission is scheduled for the end of March 2025. So far, the expected thing was that Wilmore and Williams return along with their mission partners, the American Nick Hague and the Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov, in March or maybe in April. But Musk’s message suggests that perhaps his return goes ahead. As for the Starliner, NASA canceled the flight that had hired Boeing By 2025. The two astronaut rotations of this year will be in charge of Spacex while Boeing continues to analyze what could fail in its first manned flight and how it plans to solve it. Images | Steve Jurvetson (CC By 2.0), NASA In Xataka | The Starliner ship is not only a humiliation for Boeing: it is a moneyless money well that will no longer be able to recover

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.