Because all of the news seems fixated on reporting things like NASA closing their DEI Office.
SpaceX Notches Another Milestone
It's another all-time world record because nobody is even close to really
competing with them. On Tuesday, Jan 21, the Starlink launch from
Vandenberg Space Force Base crossed the next milestone,
the 400th successful booster recovery. Every successful recovery is a new record number, so only the Big Round Numbers get press. The number of landings
(400) is for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters only. Starship's
SuperHeavy boosters aren't counted here.
This was the 10th flight for the first stage booster in this mission, which
previously launched Oneweb 4, USSF-62, and now eight Starlink missions.
That time in the X screen capture, BTW, is shifted to EST; it was 7:54 AM
PST. The recovery drone ship was Of Course I Still Love You, the only
one of the drone ships operating in California.
Boeing to take additional Starliner losses in the 4th quarter
In a Jan. 23 press release, Boeing provided preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2024. That included a projection of $1.7 billion in charges against earnings for five programs in its Defense, Space and Security business unit.
While they didn't provide more detail of how much losses will go against Starliner (I suspect "can't" is a more accurate word than "didn't"), by looking at the third quarter report it's probably reasonable to estimate the losses due to Starliner are on the order of $100 to 150 million.
In a Jan. 23 press release, Boeing provided preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2024. That included a projection of $1.7 billion in charges against earnings for five programs in its Defense, Space and Security business unit.
Most of those charges will go towards two programs: $800 million for the KC-46A tanker and $500 million for the T-7A trainer aircraft, totaling $1.3 billion. That leaves $400 million split between charges for Starliner and another couple of programs.
Both Boeing and NASA have offered few updates on the status of Starliner since the end of its mission back in September, but it seems NASA doesn't have much faith in Starliner. Around the time of a similar story to this one back in October the statement was that NASA said it didn't know when it would buy more Starliner missions and Boeing said they didn't know when they'd be ready - with an implication they may not be willing to spend the money. There was talk about Boeing selling its space business segment off, keeping their commercial and military aircraft-related sectors. That talk is still out there. In fact, in a report released today, Jan. 23, venture firm Space Capital predicted that both Boeing and Airbus would divest their space divisions this year.
Boeing's KC46 program is in danger of being cancelled and replaced by US built Airbus frames.
ReplyDeleteBoeing is not doing well. I actually suspect that if they continue the way they are, they won't be around in 10 years.
BTW, Beans, did you get any of that snow or ice? It looked possible on some radar image I saw, I didn't hear anything about it. Nothing down here, of course. I think it made it to 39 around sunrise.
DeleteThe weatherguessers said it would but we got none on Tuesday.
DeleteOn Wednesday we got this weird slow speed drizzle that my Tennessee wife said was snow that melted reasonably close to the ground.
It has snowed here before. Dec 23, 1989. Went from 70s and rainy to 19 and snowy in 6ish hours.
But, no, we escaped the festivities.
And Suni and Butch have fallen right out of anything from Boing or NASA.
ReplyDeleteSuni got a mention this week for getting to do a spacewalk, so that's a good thing.
DeleteWhat is interesting is that before posting I spent twenty minutes looking around the net for anything on Butch and Suni. I did not find any mention of a space walk.
DeleteEither my eyesight, or spacewalks are blasé.
Also, today the Pergelator blog has a fine article on the Russian OKNO space observatory. The observatory tracks orbiting junk, among other things.
DeleteGo to this YouTube search term https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=suni+spacewalk The first one is the whole walk - just over eight hours . The second is a one minute highlight. There are several more.
DeleteFWIW, I think it's your second option. People are bored with "the same old stuff."
You DO realize, don't you Rick, that our equivalent is GEODSS and has been operational since the 80's??
DeleteIgor, yes I do. But I wanted to share the article I read today on that blog. It is a glimpse into Russian programs.
DeleteCorporate monopolies can be like water empires. Looks like Boeing is a kind of present day analog, long as nothing spills the gravy train Boeing hums along, when something upsets the delicate balance they/it enjoys, typically an outside factor, they fall.
ReplyDeleteWorked long time in aerospace manufacturing in a highly successful contract shop, we took in orders from all the worlds jet rocket and engine nacelle/landing gear OEM manufacturers, typically they outsource a great deal of their ridgid tube assembly work once in house development is completed, though it was not uncommon for say PrattWhitney engines or RollsRoyce ground turbines to provide an engine for which master tube sets and further production contracts, Pratt did that with the F-22 engine, they all have union work hold up difficulties, and get years behind on orders, with engines or planes on ground loosing up to millions a day in flight loss or penalties. Interesting thing is how they go thru these roller coaster cycles of boom to bust, boom to bust, GoodYear division who did engine nacelle and landing gear for Boeing, other plane manufacturers also, they had terrible problems getting what they call flexible netal hose assemblies, critical components fir jet blast reversers and landing gear, company called TiteFlex made FMH's was always 1-5 years behind, that outfit had just insane union problems, with employees even destroying parts deliberately, loosing whole orders by breaking traceability by shipping to made up destinations, which made those parts unusable, junk, it was crazy insane culture there. TF finally threw in the towel. GY was so desperate, TF was the worlds only FAA certed FMH assembly house, they implemented a buy out of TF's FMH assembly division, so we could beginning manufacturing FMH assemblies. #1
ReplyDeleteLong story short we ended up in 4 months from a cold start, delivering on 3 year back log of orders. Funny thing, our corporate parent was in process of breaking our company up half going to Poland, other to Mexico, our recently promoted to CEO prior hrad of materiels and supplies manager, he did this totally ballsy wager with corporate head quarters, where by if he could get an in house TF metal hose assembly cell running and order backlog eliminated in 6 months they had to leave us up in NH alone, saving near around 375 really great good paying jobs. That dude was pretty sharp, one evening I came in on hoot owl shift, he was there, between us two we took masking tape and yellow paint and squared off a section of cleared floor space, in which he was setting up a new cell for the metal hoses, the yellow line was not to be crossed on pain of firing, by any employee not certified in FMH manufacturing, (i volunteered as the fusion welder/inspector/multi tasker in general, along with 5 other volunteers, we where informed and given every resource uninhibited, cept for a max on our years budget, to set up the entire metal hose operation, had one engineer, a manager, and us 5 other workers. We where so successful, when FAA came in fir certifying us, they where blown away, in two days they knew for certain we passed all the audits and quals, which was so remarkable, they told us they where going to hang out for two weeks, then cert us, because they said no one would believe what we did and their findings in only two days was possible, that not even close had such a thing taken place. And we did the whole thing in only 4 months, GY was crazy happy, we had orders set up up to 15 years out from a range of companies for these metal hose assemblies. #2
ReplyDeleteHaving been a part of that great adventure setting up the FMH cell, got a front row seat into the workings through-out aerospace, and personally from my observations, combined with my wife's, (she also being a certed metal joiner, heat treating specialist and induction brazer, inspector, vacuum furnace operator), we both where gob smacked, why we too left, how quickly this just great company and its get er done mostly happy culture of very high level craft workers and engineers, could be poisoned to where over time of couple years most of the highest skilled quit for other jobs, luckily the CEO jumped too, rapidly opening up his own rigid tube assembly house, ending up with all those engineers machinists welders inspectors tube benders etc working for him. Thing is, understanding some quite critical influences, whereby the style of management towards craft work manufacturing, is kind of blind to some critical aspects of how and why such hand craft is just that, you can not make it do things like a trained seal, you must nurture it if you expect it to produce good product on time and in profitable quantity, and, on time, in an industry that lives and dies now on JIT manufacturing, which to me is the bane of todays skilled workforce, its a blind pig trying to find an acorn, in other-words you have to leave a craft work force alone, let it, gently assist it,(critically keep unions out, its such a small part overall of across the country manufacturing today, aint gonna kill a union to just let it be), because no matter how you slice and dice in this corporate culture today, if your aerospace, you must treat floor folks right, with respect, let them set up the culture which makes things flow, they do it without premeditation, its a natural side benefit of such people working together. Its a true cautionary tale. I worked 47 years from tech to retirement as an old school welder/fabricator. Watched corporate culture utterly destroy this countries skilled workforce, and hardly give a shit, long as their gravytrain ran on time they simply did not care one hoot about skilled craft workers, they are non entities within that culture, you add in the corrupted unions, not saying all unions, just the rotten ones, destruction is guaranteed, particularly adding in the SJW culture which hi-jacked corporate HR. Watched this evolve front row seat, its a fowl thing indeed, came away from it, even now retired and content, somehow dirtied, soiled by that ugly creature, which permeates so much of manufacturing today, and I see SpaceX, and somehow, they got it, they get it, they commune with their skilled motivated innovative workforce, only way I believe you can now, succeed, profitably, whole thing has come full circle, I seriously doubt its Musk, he is a gifted front man no doubts, somebody, and they keep themselves well hidden, is behind this excellent ongoing evolving success thats really SpaceX under the glamour. Whats behind no idea, clearly though something is, clearly they get it, its your employees, not only skilled, who make or break you, if your intending to have a skilled labor intense ongoing evolving successful operation. Somebody saw and understood, it can not be overstated, and they set up a yellow line around their manufacturing floor, gave it its start unhindered, nurtured and then protected it like a precious artifact, that it is today. I see Russia has been and become even more successful that way, it shows, they are heads snd tails ahead of the world in many aerospace ventures, they have innovation, evolution, they promote it, advertise it, they are pen arms asking skilled people to come to Russia, pulling away red tape, advancing their invitation, making it worth the move best they can, its a remarkable tale, in some ways its gonna create a Russia for the ages, they get it, and its an investment that is priceless, no money can buy you this thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this rather long story. As for Elon, it might be that his gift is finding the right people to hire and the right ones to fire when that doesn't work right. Gwynne Shotwell has a lot to do with the success of SpaceX and she was one Musk's first hires, back around 2004 (IIRC). She's still there.
DeleteThere's an old saying that goes something like, "the best managers hire the best people for the job and then leave them alone to do it." It seems to be what he does, although I sure don't know how he actually treats people in the inner circle.
One of Musk's most revealing quotes goes something like, "Optimism? Pessimism? Fuck that - we're going to make it happen."
Aunt worked at a company in Nashua NH, building part of the landing stage on the Apollo LEM's, she said something many did working on Kennedy's moon mission, a quiet motto it seems, we where in her kitchen, i was pretty young, never forget her words, "Ain't gonna fail because of me." Told our CEO what my aunt said back then, how it was what I was going to do my best about. He came back, well, Doug, that is in part why I asked you and the others to set up the new cell, "there is a reason why we put that yellow paint around the flex cell."
DeleteAll my years only a few leaders like that fellow had the honor of working under, the others were shop foreman, who came up thru working most if not all spots in a shop, but after oh, about mid 80's, that style of floor management was replaced with 90 day wonders who sure had book smarts but had no clue how you formed metal or welded it together, pretty much that was the end of that old school way of skilled craft work and its generational culture, and thos later people literally had no clue what was lost, to the point so many times I was asked if I had any ideas about improving the loss of experienced skilled labor, was always straight up about why, because the respect that was lost by this new style of floor management, and subsequent loss in decent pay for having committed ones working life to a trade of skills.
That CEO after the flex cell and I had an interesting conversation, regards getting good welders, they had done a number of job fairs and got zero results, he asked why I worked here, told him because its my desire to be a welder, pay was secondary cause I saved my pennies, lived debt free, and had a side business and a small fab shop, I loved working here, the work is the most challenging and fun in all my time, but, told him no BS, your never going to get welders at the pay rates you offer, not have to pass weld quals and constantly maintain half a dozen or more certs, drug tests on the monthly, when you can go work at so and so's shop for 4-6 bucks more an hour, with none of the strain of passing radiographic tests on every weld joint. 2 weeks later opened my paycheck there was an $11 buck an hour increase in there. Go figure. That was a first for me, here's me, a welder in a 17-20 million a year company, you just never know. But I was a good employee, never missed a day all time working there, carried 62 weld certs, torch and induction and furnace braze certs, pressure and FPU certs, was training for radiographic inspection stamp, and by myself handled all the fit up, chem clean, welding, PT, some bending, ( those large dia 316l tubes where really tuff to bend for the one on one radius bends required, we had one guy who was extremely good at it), and heat treat for PrattFlorida's RL10 tube sets. The place was spotless clean, air-conditioned, parts came nitrogen bagged, these two old ladies came around with carts expediting job totes, nice linch room, they let me work the way I cared to so I could get stuff done on time, for 11 years till the flex cell, welded all the tubes on every RL10 engined used, I believe, they even sent me down to the cape at PrattFlorida to help weld on some experimental parts for a bootleg upgrade on the RL, enough increase in fuel efficiency used on GEOStat satellites, they got a huge boost in time in orbit, one engineer mentioned it figured out up to 4 billion dollars in value, per sat time wise, part because the bootleg actually saved 14lbs because they specified sheetmetal halves where they had big clunky billet machined components, part due to better fuel milage, as the bootleg instead of feeding one side of the distribution ring feeding the heat transfer tubes on the engine bell it created a double feed, they split the single into two, my job was to fit and weld the components and help destructive test the parts. Gravy job really, me and a NASA physicist/metals engineer, two of had the run of everything. More a vacation for me, the PHD he was a real character too, took me lot of places to show all sorts of cool things at NASA at the cape.
The virus of the administrative state.
ReplyDeleteThere is the most worthy need to treat your employees with dignity and certain resect for their commitment to providing the only means of creating wealth, there is no other source period, thru hard work, creating something of value where non existed till that moment, thru all the various forms of creativity and brain sweat and good old elbow grease.
ReplyDeleteThats the bedrock truth of it. All other forms of wealth ate either theft or coercion thru ulterior motives, that has always been the elitists way to great wealth. The Colonial era America is the great case in point, wealth and prosperity beyond prior history, in a fashion never experienced in full. It is the foundation of America, it is unfettered economic activity, something almost crushed to death today. It still exists for sure but it is a rare critter, where some dark force, illegitimate authority, has created a situation whereby an almost cast iron grip on free unfettered economic activity has gone underground grass roots, its essentially the honorable resistance to economic tyranny. Great part is anyone can join THR, simplest way begins at home or with oneself, avoid taxes, homeschool your kids, build off grid sources of power, grow food, raise your meat and eggs, learn new skills, make things, become a maker, a craftskill doer. Barter trade generosity treat others as you would like yourself be treated. Its amazing what happens, how those dark powers and authority become ineffective, they have power no longer over you. Course that powers always has the power to hurt, but thats why some great people understood how utterly critical it was people be armed citizenry. Imagine America if the honorable resistance was unarmed. Would not exist.
But really, there was always so much here, more than enough for all, still is, its not ended by no means, simply cycles I think and with each cycle things really improve. Its truth Liberty, its critical legs, unfettered economic activity, ones Sovereign natural being, the natural right to be left alone, and owning property, arms being the first thing, for ones Rifle is one's property, this never happened in all of human history, not like America. Andrew Skousen called it the 5000 Year Leap. Wrote a great book on it by that name. Skousen states its that unfettered activity which changed the human equation as never before, that in Colonial America, not talking many people, couple million maybe tops, that more people lived under liberty and self determinism, than all the people lived thru all history to that point including America at that time. Pretty clear to see when you give it a good think. Is to me at least.
Maybe these people are heading in the right direction, though thoughts on one's employees dignity seems absent, at least from words written in this piece:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/rebuilding-american-manufacturing-its-not-just-plants-its-people