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NASA, Boeing clear two technical hurdles for Starliner’s debut crew flight
Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and NASA quelled two technical issues on the company’s Starliner spacecraft, including a “design vulnerability” requiring a temporary workaround, to get the capsule back on track for its first mission carrying two astronauts to space, officials said on Friday.
Starliner’s debut crewed mission, a high-stakes test now planned for June 1, was derailed earlier this month by a small helium leak detected in its propulsion system hours before it was due to lift off from Florida. Over two weeks of extra scrutiny found that the leak poses no major risk to the astronauts, Reuters reported.
“This is really not a safety of flight issue for ourselves, and we believe that we have a well-understood condition that we can manage,” Boeing’s Starliner boss Mark Nappi told reporters during a news conference.
Starliner’s long-delayed first crewed flight, with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore on board, is a final test mission before NASA can certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut trips to and from the International Space Station. It would become the second U.S. crew capsule alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which started flying humans in 2020.
Boeing and NASA’s probe of the helium leak led engineers to uncover an additional issue in Starliner’s propulsion system that NASA’s commercial crew chief Steve Stich called a “design vulnerability.”
Modeling showed that a cascading, but very unlikely, series of issues during a mission could eliminate the capsule’s backup thrusters and render it unable to safely return to Earth. A software fix offered a temporary workaround for the mission, but Boeing and NASA will discuss whether a deeper redesign is needed before future flights, officials said.
“It’s backed by test data, it’s backed by flight data, and the guidance and navigation modeling have reinforced that this technique will work,” Nappi said, adding the astronauts had tested the system after the fix.
That broader issue and ad hoc resolution prompted NASA to call for an additional Flight Readiness Review, an extensive, day-long meeting among agency officials, Boeing engineers and independent analysts to justify Starliner is safe for flight.
Boeing is a longtime NASA contractor that has built modules for the decades-old International Space Station but has never before flown humans into space, a feat that persistent struggles in its Starliner program has made elusive.
Years behind schedule and with $1.5 billion in unplanned development costs, a success with Starliner is badly needed as Boeing reels from unrelenting crises in its aviation business.
Starliner in 2019 failed an attempt to reach the ISS, returning to Earth roughly a week earlier than planned because of dozens of software, technical and management issues that reshaped Boeing’s relationship with NASA.
The spacecraft succeeded in a re-do flight in 2022 to the ISS.
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Afghan and Iranian officials discuss expanding economic cooperation
Ahmad Jan Bilal, General Director of State-Owned Corporations, met on Tuesday with Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul, Ali Reza Bikdeli, to discuss expanding bilateral economic cooperation and following up on issues raised during his recent visit to Iran.
According to a statement from the General Directorate of State-Owned Companies, the meeting focused on reviewing ways to implement discussions held with Iranian officials during Bilal’s visit.
Bikdeli described the visit as positive and productive, stressing the importance of following up on the issues discussed and taking practical steps to advance bilateral cooperation.
He said Iran is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in oil and gas exploration, extraction and exports, refinery construction, agriculture, water and electricity.
Bilal, for his part, said the Islamic Emirate is interested in expanding joint cooperation with Iran in energy, agriculture, industrial development and other economic sectors. He added that his office would work with the Iranian side to turn the proposed areas of cooperation into practical initiatives.
Bilal also reaffirmed his office’s commitment to following up on the issues discussed during his recent visit to Iran and working towards their implementation in coordination with Iranian officials.
Bilal recently visited Iran at the head of a delegation, holding talks with several Iranian officials on expanding economic, trade and investment ties, particularly in the state-owned companies sector.
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Ariana Airlines reduces Kabul–Islamabad–Kabul airfares by $20
Ariana Afghan Airlines announced on Tuesday a reduction in ticket prices for flights on the Kabul–Islamabad–Kabul route from $190 to $170.
According to the airline, passengers can now purchase tickets for this route at $20 less than the previous fare.
The airline has also set a special fare of $150 for students travelling on this route.
Ariana Afghan Airlines said the move aims to reduce travel costs and make air travel more affordable and accessible for passengers and students.
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Afghanistan and Russia discuss expanding economic ties and boosting bilateral trade
During the meeting, Muttaqi stressed that Afghanistan and Russia should expand economic cooperation based on shared interests and mutual benefits.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with Zamir Kabulov, Russian President’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation and increasing trade between the two countries.
During the meeting, Muttaqi stressed that Afghanistan and Russia should expand economic cooperation based on shared interests and mutual benefits.
Kabulov, meanwhile, praised the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and cultivation, saying reports by some international organisations on the issue do not reflect the realities on the ground.
Muttaqi reiterated that the Islamic Emirate remains committed to combating drug cultivation, production and trafficking, describing these efforts as important for the security and stability of both Afghanistan and the wider region.
The meeting comes amid continued efforts by Kabul and Moscow to strengthen diplomatic and economic engagement and explore opportunities for broader bilateral cooperation.
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