Boeing’s first astronaut mission ended Friday night time with an empty capsule touchdown and two take a look at pilots nonetheless in house, left behind till subsequent yr as a result of NASA judged their return too dangerous.

Six hours after departing the Worldwide Area Station, Starliner parachuted into New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Vary, descending on autopilot by means of the desert darkness.

It was an uneventful near a drama that started with the June launch of Boeing’s long-delayed crew debut and shortly escalated right into a dragged-out cliffhanger of a mission suffering from thruster failures and helium leaks. For months, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ return was in query as engineers struggled to know the capsule’s issues.

Boeing insisted after intensive testing that Starliner was protected to carry the 2 house, however NASA disagreed and booked a flight with SpaceX as an alternative. Their SpaceX journey gained’t launch till the top of this month, which implies they’ll be up there till February — greater than eight months after blasting off on what ought to have been a fast journey.

Wilmore and Williams ought to have flown Starliner again to Earth by mid-June, per week after launching in it. However their journey to the house station was marred by the cascade of thruster bother and helium loss, and NASA finally determined it was too dangerous to return them on Starliner.

So with contemporary software program updates, the totally automated capsule left with their empty seats and blue spacesuits together with some outdated station tools.

“She’s on her manner house,” Williams radioed because the white and blue-trimmed capsule undocked from the house station 260 miles (420 kilometers) over China and disappeared into the black void.

Williams stayed up late to see how every little thing turned out. “An excellent touchdown, fairly superior,” mentioned Boeing’s Mission Management.

1:37
NASA eases issues after ‘unusual noise’ reported on Boeing Starliner

Cameras on the house station and a pair of NASA planes caught the capsule as a white streak coming in for the landing, which drew cheer.

There have been some snags throughout reentry, together with extra thruster points, however Starliner made a “bull’s-eye touchdown,” mentioned NASA’s business crew program supervisor Steve Stich.

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Even with the protected return, “I feel we made the precise determination to not have Butch and Suni on board,” Stich mentioned at a information convention early Saturday. “All of us really feel completely happy in regards to the profitable touchdown. However then there’s a chunk of us, all of us, that we want it could have been the best way we had deliberate it.”

Boeing didn’t take part within the Houston information briefing. However two of the corporate’s prime house and protection officers, Ted Colbert and Kay Sears, informed staff in a word that they backed NASA’s ruling.

“Whereas this may occasionally not have been how we initially envisioned the take a look at flight concluding, we help NASA’s determination for Starliner and are pleased with how our staff and spacecraft carried out,” the executives wrote.

Starliner’s crew demo capped a journey stuffed with delays and setbacks. After the house shuttles retired greater than a decade in the past, NASA employed Boeing and SpaceX for orbital taxi service. Boeing bumped into so many issues on its first take a look at flight with nobody aboard in 2019 that it needed to repeat it. The 2022 do-over uncovered much more flaws and the restore invoice topped $1 billion.

SpaceX’s crew ferry flight later this month can be its tenth for NASA since 2020. The Dragon capsule will launch on the half-year expedition with solely two astronauts since two seats are reserved for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg.

As veteran astronauts and retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams anticipated hurdles on the take a look at flight. They’ve stored busy in house, serving to with repairs and experiments. The 2 at the moment are full-time station crew members together with the seven others on board.

Even earlier than the pair launched on June 5 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Starliner’s propulsion system was leaking helium. The leak was small and considered remoted, however 4 extra cropped up after liftoff. Then 5 thrusters failed. Though 4 of the thrusters had been recovered, it gave NASA pause as as to if extra malfunctions would possibly hamper the capsule’s descent from orbit.

1:32
Boeing Starliner making ‘unusual’ pulsing noise, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reviews

Boeing carried out quite a few thruster assessments in house and on the bottom over the summer time, and was satisfied its spacecraft might safely carry the astronauts again. However NASA couldn’t get snug with the thruster state of affairs and went with SpaceX.

Flight controllers carried out extra take a look at firings of the capsule’s thrusters following undocking; one didn’t ignite. Engineers suspect the extra the thrusters are fired, the warmer they turn into, inflicting protecting seals to swell and impede the stream of propellant. They gained’t have the ability to study any of the elements; the part holding the thrusters was ditched simply earlier than reentry.

Starliner can be transported in a pair weeks again to NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart, the place the analyses will unfold.

NASA officers pressured that the house company stays dedicated to having two competing U.S. corporations transporting astronauts. The purpose is for SpaceX and Boeing to take turns launching crews — one a yr per firm — till the house station is deserted in 2030 proper earlier than its fiery reentry. That doesn’t give Boeing a lot time to catch up, however the firm intends to push ahead with Starliner, in keeping with NASA.

Stich mentioned post-landing it’s too early to know when the subsequent Starliner flight with astronauts would possibly happen.

“It would take some time to find out the trail ahead,” he mentioned.

&copy 2024 The Canadian Press

The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott have agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract that may make him the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past, in keeping with a number of stories.

The deal contains $231 million in assured cash. ESPN reported the signing first.

Prescott had been set to enter the ultimate 12 months of his present contract. The lengthy, drawn-out negotiation ended with him incomes the largest contract in league historical past, valued at $60 million a season.

Observe alongside for dwell protection right here of Week 1

Hours after the deal was completed, Prescott led his workforce to a 33-17 win in opposition to the Cleveland Browns.

Prescott, 31, was a fourth-round choose within the 2016 NFL draft. He’s headed into his ninth season within the NFL, all with the Cowboys. He has a 73-41 file however solely 2-5 within the postseason.

Final season, Prescott set profession highs in completions (410) and touchdowns (36), throwing for 4,516 yards with solely 9 interceptions. He led Dallas to a 12-5 file, however the Cowboys misplaced at residence within the first spherical of the playoffs to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

Prescott is the Cowboys second key offensive participant to signal a brand new contract after prolonged negotiations this offseason, becoming a member of his high receiver, CeeDee Lamb. Now each Prescott and Lamb are signed by means of 2028.

The Cowboys are enjoying the Cleveland Browns of their Week 1 opener.

The beleaguered Starliner spacecraft, constructed by Boeing, efficiently landed in New Mexico simply after midnight Jap time, ending a vital check flight that proved to be an actual headache for NASA.

Officers on the house company feared that Starliner’s thrusters may malfunction throughout its return, simply as some thrusters had on its journey to the Worldwide Area Station.

That’s why, when the gumdrop-shaped house capsule parachuted right down to Earth, it carried solely cargo — and its first crew remained safely on board the Worldwide Area Station.

Leaving them there “was a tricky determination to make. It was actually arduous to find out whether or not to be uncrewed or not,” Steve Stich, this system supervisor for NASA’s Business Crew Program, informed reporters earlier this week.

However there was sufficient uncertainty with regard to how the thrusters would carry out that NASA officers most popular to err on the facet of warning. The house company, in any case, stays haunted by two previous disasters, the lack of house shuttles Columbia and Challenger and their crews.

After Starliner made a picture-perfect touchdown, Stich informed reporters that the spacecraft did nicely throughout its return flight.

“It was a bullseye touchdown,” he mentioned. “It is actually nice to get the spacecraft again.”

Requested by a reporter if he had any second ideas about NASA’s determination to not fly astronauts dwelling on Starliner, Stich mentioned “it is all the time arduous to have that retrospective look” however “I feel we made the proper determination.”

He mentioned whereas he and others on the workforce felt completely happy concerning the profitable touchdown, “there is a piece of us, all of us, that we want it will’ve been the best way we had deliberate it” with astronauts on board when it landed.

“I feel there’s, relying on who you’re on the workforce, completely different feelings related to that,” he continued. “I feel it’ll take some time to work by way of that, for me just a little bit, after which for everyone else on the Boeing and NASA workforce.”

Starliner launched on June 5 with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, and Boeing and NASA initially mentioned their check flight would final about eight days.

As a substitute, the mission stretched out for weeks as Boeing and NASA employees tried to know why some thrusters had failed as Starliner approached the station.

The choice to convey Starliner again with out its crew signifies that the astronauts should dwell on the station till February.

“Since we knew this was a check flight, with intention we put them by way of long-duration house station coaching,” says Dana Weigel, NASA’s program supervisor for the station, who provides that the astronauts have been serving to out with chores and science experiments. “We had them nicely ready to maneuver into this function.”

The astronauts will probably be going dwelling on a beforehand scheduled flight by Boeing’s competitor, SpaceX. NASA needed to rejigger its plans to ensure two seats can be free in that SpaceX capsule.

What’s extra, in case the house station suffers an emergency that forces an evacuation earlier than that capsule arrives, the station’s crew needed to jerry-rig two further seats in a special SpaceX spacecraft that’s at present docked there.

All of this has been a blow to aerospace big Boeing. Starliner had two earlier flights, with out a crew on board, and each skilled issues — its first flight, in 2019, didn’t even make it to the station.

SpaceX, in the meantime, acquired much less cash from NASA to develop a business house taxi service, but nonetheless managed to develop a automobile that’s been taking astronauts to and from the station for years.

NASA began its business crew program to encourage trade to take over the job of ferrying astronauts and cargo to the station, in order that it might concentrate on going again to the moon and past.

Now that Starliner is again on the bottom, Boeing and NASA will additional analyze the thrusters to see if modifying the spacecraft or the way it’s flown might hold the thrusters from overheating sooner or later.

Mission managers put the thrusters by way of their paces after Starliner undocked from the station and earlier than it piloted itself to a secure touchdown at White Sands Area Harbor in New Mexico.

“Many components of the flight went extraordinarily nicely, and Starliner is a good spacecraft,” Stich mentioned. “What we actually have to go do is take a look at the issues that didn’t carry out the best way we anticipated.”

Copyright 2024 NPR

Web site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Rating: #3 Texas 31, #10 Michigan 12
Data: U-M (1-1), Texas (2-0)
Attendance: 111,170
Subsequent U-M Occasion: Saturday, Sept. 14 — vs. Arkansas State (Michigan Stadium), Midday (TV: Large Ten Community)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 10-ranked College of Michigan soccer group was unable to seek out momentum on both facet of the ball in a 31-12 loss in opposition to No. 3-ranked Texas on Saturday (Sept. 7) at Michigan Stadium. The Maize Out loss broke a streak of 16 straight victories relationship again to the 2022 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in opposition to TCU.

The Longhorns managed the Wolverines handily on protection, holding the Maize and Blue to 284 complete yards and permitting conversions on three of 12 third-down alternatives. Turnovers proved detrimental for the Wolverines, throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball as soon as.

For a second straight recreation, Colston Loveland proved to be a vibrant spot for the Wolverines, recording eight catches for 70 of Michigan’s 204 receiving yards. Semaj Morgan (profession highs of 5 receptions and 45 yards) scored the one U-M landing within the recreation, a 33-yard receiving rating alongside the away sideline with two minutes remaining within the contest. Donovan Edwards led the way in which on the bottom with 41 dashing yards over eight makes an attempt within the loss.

On protection, U-M was unable to cease the Longhorns’ passing assault, permitting 246 yards and three touchdowns by the air; 10 of Texas’ 15 first downs got here on passing performs. In complete, the Longhorns posted 389 complete yards, and their 31 factors marked essentially the most allowed by the Wolverines because the 2022 CFP matchup versus TCU (Dec. 31, 2022).

After lacking a 43-yard area aim try on their first drive, the Longhorns have been the primary to seek out the scoreboard on their second — a 21-yard passing landing with 4:14 remaining within the first quarter.

Michigan responded rapidly, producing a nine-play, 55-yard drive spanning 5:45 and leading to a Dominic Zvada 37-yard area aim conversion. The drive included a pair of first-down runs by Edwards (5 and 12 yards) and a 22-yard reception by C.J. Charleston on a flea flicker go — his first catch as a Wolverine.

Within the remaining 13:23 of the primary half, Texas went on to attain 17 unanswered factors and entered halftime with a 24-3 lead.

After the groups traded punts on the primary two drives of the second half, Michigan recorded its first factors in nearly 25 minutes of recreation play on a Zvada 52-yard area aim — his third area aim of fifty yards or extra in simply two video games this season.

Texas answered once more, scoring a seven-yard landing by the air which resulted from a 55-yard end-around rush; this introduced the rating to a 31-6 Longhorns benefit.

The Wolverines concluded the sport on a vibrant be aware offensively, producing an eight-play, 78-yard drive which resulted in a 33-yard landing connection between Davis Warren and Morgan. After an unsuccessful two-point conversion try, the rating got here to its ultimate resting place of 31-12.

Michigan will wrap up its non-conference schedule subsequent Saturday (Sept. 14) in opposition to Arkansas State. The sport is scheduled for a midday kickoff and it is going to be broadcast on Large Ten Community.

BOSTON — A lot of Patriots participant who have been listed as questionable for Week 1 are good to go in Cincinnati. Rookie receiver Javon Baker, nevertheless, is just not.

Baker is a wholesome scratch for Sunday’s sport, whereas security Jabrill Peppers (hip), deal with Vederian Lowe (stomach), working again Antonio Gibson (hip), and linebacker Josh Uche are all lively for New England because the Patriots get set to kick off their 2024 season in opposition to the Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Peppers was added to the harm report on Saturday, however went by warmups and was cleared to play on Sunday.

Right here is the complete checklist of New England’s inactives for Sunday’s conflict with the Bengals:

WR Javon Baker
OT Demontrey Jacobs
LB Curtis Jacobs
DT Eric Johnson 
QB Joe Milton (emergency third QB)  
G Sidy Sow
G Zach Thomas  

Some could assume that Baker’s wholesome scratch is a part of the punishment that the rookie obtained for his current social media rant in opposition to police after he was given a ticket. However head coach Jerod Mayo stated final week that Baker’s team-issued punishment was “to not the extent of lacking the sport” in Week 1.

It probably has extra to do with Baker’s incapacity to complete a number of catches through the preseason. It is disappointing that he is inactive to start his professional profession, however he’ll have loads of alternative to develop all through the season.

With out Baker, the Patriots can have a receiving corps of DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, Tyquan Thornton, Ok.J. Osborn, and Kayshon Boutte for quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Sunday. 

As for the offensive line, it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see how a lot Lowe performs after he was restricted all week in follow with an stomach harm. Chuks Okorafor is the workforce’s projected starter at left deal with, however Lowe performed a lot better in that spot through the preseason. We’ll see how a lot of a rotation Mayo employs at left deal with on Sunday.

With Sow out (he was dominated out Friday), the Patriots might flip to Michael Jordan to begin at left guard. Jordan was elevated from the New England follow squad on Saturday.

As for the Bengals, Cincinnati can have star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is active despite not reaching a contract extension with the workforce forward of Sunday’s sport. Nonetheless, Joe Burrow won’t have the companies of receiver Tee Higgins, who’s out with a hamstring harm.

September seventh, 2024

Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The place: Memorial Stadium – Lincoln, Nebraska

When: 5:30 p.m. MT

TV: NBC

Radio: AM 850 KOA

Climate: 77 Levels, sunny

Nebraska Weblog: Corn Nation

Line: Colorado +7.5

Welcome to the Ralphie Report because the Colorado Buffaloes get able to tackle the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium for the second recreation of the 2024 season.

No must go anyplace else right this moment, The Ralphie Report has all the pieces you want and we welcome you to weigh in together with your stay recreation evaluation, critiques, observations and predictions.

Try the previous recreation thread from the Hawaii recreation to see the way it works. Throw all of your feedback concerning the recreation beneath and let’s get this factor rolling. For those who don’t have an account, enroll right here without spending a dime and revel in all that our web site has to supply.

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