> wonder if the 2 astronauts will ever just 'call it'
The forcing function is Crew 9, currently scheduled to launch no earlier than 24 September [1]. If they don’t want to fly Starliner, the face saving move is to delay signing off until then.
That decision has to be made well before the launch. Crew 9 has to launch with fewer crew onboard. The Boeing crew needs Space-X spacesuits made for them because Boeing's suits don't fit in Space-X seats.[1] What cargo goes up with Crew 9 would change.
Are those suits being made? Can they be made without the wearers present for fitting? Did someone think of this before the Boeing launch?
Fairly certain the other user is misinformed and the general media reporting on this entire affair has continued to be so awful as to blow up the fact that the two capsules use incompatible IVA plug-ins.
If they choose to return on Crew-9, the associated IVA suits do exist and would be sent up. They already have both astronauts' measurements and have either made/adjusted a set for them, or have found ones that would be a good enough fit.
Eric Berger and Arstechnica in general has a fairly reliable track record on space related reporting. So I would trust them more than all the "big" outlets which can't seem to live in their own reality.
There's no benefit to using Starliner suits in Dragon since they can't be plugged in, and there is no risk to using Dragon IVA suits that are based on the measurements they already have of both of them.
Of course there is. They already have them and we know they fit.
We also know, by the way, the measurements of the Starliner and Dragon ports. Making an adapter is theoretically easier than making a new suit. If you don’t think so, then map every argument for that scepticism to remotely tailoring a spacesuit.
> no risk to using Dragon IVA suits that are based on the measurements they already have of both of them
Measurements can change or be faulty or be critical at different parts of the body for different suit designs. “No risk” doesn’t exist in aerospace.
They should send up the new suits and then evaluate.
The forcing function is Crew 9, currently scheduled to launch no earlier than 24 September [1]. If they don’t want to fly Starliner, the face saving move is to delay signing off until then.
[1] https://www.space.com/space-force-1st-guardian-from-own-laun...