Boeing's Starliner is set to launch today after a long delay. The rocket will blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) for its first crewed mission this evening.
Boeing's Starliner To Launch Today
Starliner will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:34 p.m. EDT on Monday. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are both Navy-trained space program veterans, have been to ISS twice. They traveled on a shuttle and aboard a Russian Soyuz.
Williams said their return to the ISS was "like going back home." Wilmore, on the other hand, said everything in the Boeing spacecraft is new and unique.
"I don't think either one of us ever dreamed that we'd be associated with the first flight of a brand new spacecraft," Wilmore said.
Dana Weigel, head of the agency's International Space Station program, said having a backup plan for human space flight aside from SpaceX's Dragon ships was "really important." According to Weigel, with this flexibility, NASA would be better able to handle emergency scenarios with a specific spacecraft.
Starliner will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday at approximately 0500 GMT and stay for slightly more than a week. After testing to ensure everything operates as it should, Williams and Wilmore will board the capsule again to head back home.
A successful mission would go a long way toward healing the sour taste left by the Starliner program's multiple disappointments.
The capsule was not put on the proper trajectory during the first unmanned test launch in 2019 and returned without reaching the ISS. Then, when the rocket was ready to take off again in 2021, clogged valves necessitated yet another delay. In May 2022, the empty ship eventually reached the International Space Station.
To get the capsule approved for NASA to use on routine ISS flights, Boeing has been working on the crewed test flight ever since. Though issues continued to arise, particularly with the parachute system that slows the ship down when it descends to Earth's atmosphere, it had intended to complete that journey in 2022.
Mark Nappi, an executive at Boeing, stated that there were some unexpected obstacles that needed to be resolved during the process that led to the delay. He added, however, that it undoubtedly strengthened the team, and they should be proud of themselves for being able to solve every problem they have faced. Typically, a human spaceflight spacecraft takes roughly 10 years from design to first flight.
Jim Free, an assistant administrator at NASA, cautioned that there may be bumps in the journey. According to him, there are undoubtedly some unknowns in this trip that they hope to learn, given that it's a test mission. He warned that they might run into unexpected things.
What's Next For Boeing Starliner?
Assuming the Crew Flight Test (CFT) Starliner and the astronauts return on time in late May, Boeing is ready to dive right into Starliner-1's preparations.
Nappi claims they have already begun putting those plans and needs into action, so they will be prepared to go as soon as the vehicle returns at the end of May.
In November or December, assuming an on-time launch date, Starliner certification appears to be "on a good path" to complete the requirements for future operational missions, according to Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program, who praised Boeing's recent accomplishments.
"It kind of needs to happen in about that timeframe to hit the spring [2025] slot," Stich said, referring to Starliner-1's expected launch date.
Managers from Boeing and NASA will analyze the flight performance and determine whether CFT's temporary human rating certification can be extended to Starliner-1.
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