Starliner in Safe Orbit But Burned Too Much Fuel, NASA's Bridenstine Says

The transcript discusses a recent space mission, highlighting both successes and challenges. The mission faced an anomaly with the timing system, affecting the orbital insertion burn. Despite this, many aspects went well, and the agency remains committed to transparency. The presence of trained crew could have mitigated the issue. The test flight provided valuable data, and the Centaur upper stage performed successfully. The agency emphasizes learning from these experiences to improve future missions.

What was the main issue that affected the spacecraft's ability to rendezvous with the International Space Station?

• A malfunction in the propulsion system

• A failure in the communication system

• An error in the mission elapsed timing system

• A problem with the launch vehicle

Why was the command signal to perform the orbital insertion burn delayed?

• The launch vehicle failed

• The spacecraft was between communication satellites

• The timing system was incorrect

• The spacecraft was out of range

What is the agency's commitment when facing challenges during missions?

• To delay sharing information until resolved

• To keep information confidential

• To be transparent and share information early

• To only share information with partners

How might the presence of a crew have impacted the mission's outcome?

• The crew would have been unsafe

• The crew could have corrected the automation error

• The crew would have had no impact

• The crew would have delayed the mission

What was a significant achievement of the Centaur upper stage during the test flight?

• It was the first launch since 2004

• It demonstrated a successful flight with two RL 10 engines

• It failed to reach orbit

• It was the first use of a new engine type