NASA and Boeing are making last preparations for the second uncrewed check flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.
Throughout a particular assembly on Wednesday, the staff introduced that the Starliner mission is “go for launch” on Might 19.
Starliner, we’re go for launch.
In at the moment's Flight Readiness Evaluation, Boeing, @NASA and its worldwide companions gave a "go" for Orbital Flight Take a look at-2.Thanks, NASA, for working side-by-side with us to organize for #OFT2.
Study extra: https://t.co/AsIXVDWQHn pic.twitter.com/DeiOdXFND9
— Boeing Area (@BoeingSpace) Might 11, 2022
“NASA and Boeing are continuing with plans for the uncrewed Orbital Flight Take a look at-2 (OFT-2) to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) following a full day of briefings and discussions throughout a Flight Readiness Evaluation that came about on the company’s Kennedy Area Middle in Florida,” Boeing stated in an replace on its web site.
There’s quite a bit driving on subsequent week’s mission because it follows a failed effort to ship the Starliner to the ISS in December 2019 when software program points prevented the spacecraft from reaching the meant orbit. A second flight try, in August final yr, additionally led to failure when technical issues prevented the launch from going forward.
After launching from the Kennedy Area Middle atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the night of Might 19, the Starliner will attain the ISS about 24 hours later. It’ll keep docked for as much as 10 days earlier than returning to Earth in a parachute-assisted touchdown in New Mexico. As a part of the mission, the spacecraft will carry a whole lot of kilos of cargo to and from the area station.
If Boeing can show the protection and reliability of its Starliner capsule within the upcoming check flight, NASA can have one other automobile it will probably use for astronaut flights alongside SpaceX’s profitable Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The mission is a part of NASA’s Business Crew Program that entails the area company working with business firms to develop and fly human area transportation programs.
“Crucial step proper now’s to go fly this orbital flight check uncrewed to check the important thing programs on Starliner together with the rendezvous navigation system and the NASA docking system,” Business Crew Program supervisor Steve Stich stated on Wednesday.
Sounding a constructive word following the Starliner’s troubled begin, Stich added: “The {hardware} is prepared, it’s nice to see the staff in place to go fly the flight … we’re excited to fly, and Starliner is a good automobile.”
Earlier this week Boeing shared a time-lapse of the Starliner being stacked atop the Atlas V rocket in preparation for subsequent week’s launch.
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