NASA has announced new details regarding its upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission, set to launch no earlier than 24 September 2024, following updates shared on social media platform X. The mission will send two crew members to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Hague will command the mission, while Gorbunov will serve as mission specialist.

Originally, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were set to join the Crew-9 mission. However, they have now been reassigned to a future flight as part of NASA’s updated strategy. The decision aligns with NASA’s intention to return Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft uncrewed to Earth on 6 September 2024. This reshuffling will leave two unoccupied seats aboard Crew-9, which NASA plans to keep vacant until February 2025, when astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—who launched aboard the Starliner in June—return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov.

NASA’s chief astronaut, Joe Acaba, emphasized the importance of having an experienced NASA crew member command the flight, while also integrating a Roscosmos cosmonaut capable of operating critical systems aboard the ISS for continued safety.

However, NASA’s focus has been partially diverted due to mysterious sounds reported aboard the docked Boeing Starliner. Astronauts aboard the ISS, including Butch Wilmore, have detected strange, sonar-like noises coming from the Starliner. The eerie pinging sounds, recorded by Wilmore, have perplexed both the astronauts and Mission Control in Houston.

“There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker, and I didn’t know if you could connect into the Starliner and hear,” Wilmore told Mission Control, offering a recording of the distinct pulsing noise.

🚨BOEING’S STARLINER CREW REPORTS MYSTERIOUS “SONAR-LIKE NOISES” IN SPACECRAFT

Crews aboard the International Space Station are investigating mysterious "sonar-like noises" coming from Boeing's Starliner, reported by the crew to Mission Control.

The Starliner, which has faced… pic.twitter.com/mhJyzS5zxk

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 1, 2024

Mission Control described the sound as a “sonar ping,” and investigations are underway to determine its cause. The Starliner, which has faced multiple technical issues, will soon return to Earth autonomously without its crew, raising further questions about the unusual sounds. NASA and Boeing engineers are investigating whether the noises could hint at deeper issues or have a simpler explanation.

As NASA prepares for Crew-9’s launch and the Starliner’s return, these developments continue to draw attention to the complex dynamics of spaceflight, highlighting both advancements and challenges in human space exploration.

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The CEO of Northrop Grumman Corporation, an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company, Kathy Warden said that she does not expect antitrust review on acquisition of Orbital ATK will have any “adverse impact” on the company. According to a report the CEO Warden was asked to comment on the news that the Federal Trade Commission is initiating a legal action against Northrop Grumman for allegedly violating the 2018 agreement with the U.S. government allowing acquisition of the Orbital ATK firm.

Orbital ATK Inc. was result of two merger companies such as Orbital Sciences Corporation and Alliant Techsystems in 2015. Orbital ATK deals with space, defense, aviation systems for customers around the world and before it was acquired by Northrop Grumman it was the major supplier of large solid rocket motors that used to power the US intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In September 2017 Northrop Grumman announced to acquire Orbital ATK for $7.8 billion while the Northrop was competing with Boeing for Air Force contract to build the next-generation Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent or ICBM. However, soon after Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK to dominate over the solid rocket motors market, Boeing existed the contract race out of disadvantages over Grumman.

Northrop Grumman was obliged to supply solid rocket motors to competitors under the terms and condition of the acquisition “on a non-discriminatory basis.” Also, Northrop had to use firewalls to protect its classified information.The Air Force also awarded Northrop a $13.3 billion contract for GBSD. Meanwhile Boeing stated that Northrop was given an overwhelming amount of advantages.

The Federal Trade Commission was concern about the pro-competitive aspects of the deal. The CEO Warden said regarding FTC, “spent many months looking at the pro-competitive aspects of the deal, which there were many, and any anti-competitive risk before they approved the deal…During this period, the government identified only one concern, and it was around solid rocket motors. And so we agreed to a consent order to address that concern. Over the past four years, we’ve executed an extensive compliance program and worked with the government very closely in line with the terms of the order.”

Reportedly even when the U.S. government approved the Northrop’s acquisition of Orbital ATK, the FTC sued to block the acquisition on the grounds that it will create monopoly for rocket and missile propulsion system in January, 2022. The FTC’s Chair person Lina Khan said that the  agency would challenge any anti-competitive industry merger.

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The miami-based investment firm, 777 Partners has decided to buy 30 more Boeing  737 MAX jets as the company plans to expand its low-cost airlines. Also, the company has said that it is planning to buy up to 66 MAX more jets for its low-cost airlines.

Accordingly, the company will utilise its 737 MAX purchases to launch two budget carriers, Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier ‘Flair Airlines’ which serves in around 30 cities across Canada, U.S and Mexico and ‘Bonza Airline’ which is an Australian start-up that will start it’s operations this year. Consequently, this new plan will boost the growth of the company’s aviation businesses in the world.

By utilising the MAX platform, the 777 Partners aviation will boost the company’s capacity to provide ultra-low cost airlines to a global community. Further, the company said that it’s aviation platform, which is now expanded till two continents and two airlines, will soon be expanded more across the world.

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Boeing reported a $1.2 billion loss in the first quarter, owing to huge write-downs and losses in both its civilian and defence aircraft sectors.

The loss exceeded Wall Street’s predictions, and the company’s quarterly sales also fell short of projections. Boeing depleted its cash reserves by $3.2 billion.

On CNBC, CEO David Calhoun admitted to a “messier quarter than any of us would have preferred.”

Calhoun apparently sparked a Twitter trend during the company’s earnings call when he reportedly regretted the financial damage caused by a 2018 deal negotiated with then-President Donald Trump’s government to deliver two replacement Air Force One jets.

BREAKING: Boeing CEO David Calhoun says company executives should not have agreed to former President Trump’s terms for the new Air Force One. The company today announced it lost $660M building the two planes

— Marcus Weisgerber (@MarcusReports) April 27, 2022

BREAKING: Boeing CEO David Calhoun says company executives should not have agreed to former President Trump’s terms for the new Air Force One. The company today announced it lost $660M building the two planes

— Marcus Weisgerber (@MarcusReports) April 27, 2022

From the archives (December 2016): Boeing CEO says Air Force One will cost less than $4 billion after meeting with Trump.

Boeing Co. BA, -8.99 percent, based near Chicago, had its stock drop 10% shortly after the market opened on Wednesday. The stock was by far the worst performer among the Dow industrials, falling 0.97 percent.

However, Boeing expressed hope for the future, stating that it has submitted plans to begin 787 aircraft deliveries and that production and deliveries of the 737 Max passenger plane grew during the quarter.

Despite the pressures on the business’s defence and commercial development programmes, Calhoun said the company was on target to achieve positive cash flow for the entire year.

Boeing stockholders received bad news in the quarterly report on multiple fronts.

The projected first delivery of a new version of the company’s long-range, twin-aisle 777 passenger jet has been put back by at least a year, to 2025. The move was widely expected as Boeing adjusts to new certification criteria in the wake of regulators’ approval of the Max, which was later forced to be grounded following two catastrophic crashes.

Boeing forecasted $1.5 billion in “abnormal” production expenses as a result of the 777-9’s probable clearance delay.

Boeing announced a $660 million charge for its new presidential Air Force One plane programme, blaming it on higher supplier costs, final technical requirements, and scheduling delays. It also charged $367 million on a military training plane.

Boeing announced that it has submitted proposals to the Federal Aviation Administration to resume 787 passenger aircraft deliveries. Production concerns have prevented delivery for more than a year, resulting in a cost increase of roughly $2 billion, of which $312 million was recorded in the first quarter.

Airlines are anticipating a busy summer, with travellers returning in large numbers after a pandemic that lasted two years. However, some of them, such as American Airlines, have reduced their summer schedules due to the fact that they have yet to get the Boeing 787s that they ordered years ago.

“They’ve got a jam-packed summer itinerary.” “We’ve already let them down in terms of capacity on that summer timetable,” Calhoun said. The FAA will decide when Boeing can resume 787 deliveries, but Calhoun said, “We will be back in the skies sooner rather than later.”

In the current quarter, which runs through June, Boeing intends to increase 737 Max output to 31 planes per month. After two catastrophic crashes, the plane was grounded for over two years around the world.

Boeing also incurred pretax expenses of $212 million as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The corporation did not provide an explanation for the write-down right away.

Boeing is taking initiatives to improve long-term performance, according to a memo from Calhoun to staff.

“We are a long-cycle industry,” he explained, “and the success of our efforts will be assessed in years and decades, not quarters.”

Boeing’s commercial-airplanes sector lost $859 billion, hampered by the company’s failure to produce 787 jets while it works to correct production issues.

The defence sector, which has historically been a bulwark against the instability of airline aircraft sales, lost $929 million as revenue plunged 24%.

The corporation recorded a $1.22 billion loss attributable to shareholders, up from $537 million the year before. On revenue of $13.99 billion, the “core” loss was $2.75 per share. According to a FactSet survey, analysts predicted a loss of 25 cents per share on revenue of $16.02 billion.

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Boeing will pay more than $2.5 billion under a deal with the Department of Justice to settle a felony charge of defrauding the Federal Aviation Administration on the 737 Max aircraft.

Boeing will incur a gross fraudulent cash sum of more than $2.5 billion in the deal. That total contains the following:

1. The criminal monetary punishment is $243.6 million.
2. Compensation for Boeing 737 Max customers of $1.77 billion.
3. And a $500 million disaster beneficiary fund for heirs, families, and beneficiaries of the
4. 346 passengers killed in the Boeing 737 MAX accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and
5. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Boeing and its customers continued the service of the 737 Max, with further flights being added in 2021.

The Department of Justice alleged that Boeing had “chose the path of profit over candor” and had withheld details about weaknesses in the 737 MAX Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation Scheme (MCAC). Boeing acknowledged that the FAA had no details on the MCAS so that the pilots had no instructional manuals and no key information.

MCAC may have played a role in Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 as it was triggered during the flight.

Complaints and agreements are made public via the DOJ.

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Yes as the headline suggests, we did find something unexpected as one of our readers sent us a screenshot of an advertisement by Bowing for its F/A-18 Super Hornet (Block III) on Facebook. We think it because Boeing is trying to garner support from Indian public by showing of its features to the general public that will help them build their case towards the Indian government to buy their F/A-18 Super Hornet (Block III).

Indian Navy has been looking for an option because of poor performance by the MIG 29K, and F/A-18 Super Hornet (Block III) seems to be the right contendor for the indian navy.

We did find some features of the F/A-18 Super Hornet (Block III)

Key Features

1. Multi-role Superiority
Capable of tactical strikes, air reconnaissance, air defense, and maritime roles

2. Cutting-edge Technologies
Enhanced computing and data link, advanced cockpit system, signature improvements

3. Lifecycle Affordability
Lowest cost per flight hour among all U.S. tactical fighter in production. High mission capability rates

4. Future Ready
Unrivaled growth potential to complement future air wing capabilities

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