A United Start Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off on Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022, from Space Start Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida for NASA Boeing’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Check-2 (OFT-2) for the company’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff for OFT-2 befell at 6: 54 p.m. EDT. Starliner is anticipated to arrive at the house declare for docking about 24 hours later with more than 500 kilos of NASA cargo. The flight take a look at is designed to take a look at the system’s pause-to-pause capabilities for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program offering treasured info for NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for usual crewed flights to and from the International Space Situation. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is in orbit, heading for the International Space Situation (ISS) following the begin lately (Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022) of the next-expertise spacecraft on a United Start Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on a mission designed to take a look at the pause-to-pause capabilities of the crew-capable system as portion of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Starliner lifted off on NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Check-2 (OFT-2) at 6: 54 p.m. EDT (3: 54 p.m. PDT) from Space Start Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida. Following an orbital insertion burn 31 minutes later, Starliner used to be on its ability for a rendezvous and docking with the house declare.
The United Start Alliance Atlas V rocket and Boeing CST-100 spacecraft for Orbital Flight Check-2 is ready for begin on the pad at Space Start Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida on Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022, at 6: 54 p.m. EDT. Credit: NASA
“I am so contented with the NASA, Boeing, and United Start Alliance groups who accept as true with worked so laborious to survey Starliner on its ability to the International Space Situation,” said NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson. “Through adversity, our groups accept as true with endured to innovate for the excellent thing about our nation and all of humanity. I survey ahead to a worthwhile pause-to-pause take a look at of the Starliner spacecraft, which is able to assist enable missions with astronauts aboard.”
Start and orbital insertion are important milestones for the firm’s second uncrewed flight, bringing the U.S. nearer to having two self ample crew systems flying missions to and from the house declare.
A United Start Alliance Atlas V carrying Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for Orbital Flight Check-2 lifts off at 6: 54 p.m. EDT from Space Start Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida on Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022. Credit: NASA
Starliner is scheduled to dock to the ahead port of the declare’s Harmony module about 7: 10 p.m. Friday, Would perchance perchance even 20. After a worthwhile docking, the crew of Expedition 67 will begin Starliner’s hatch about 11: 45 a.m. Saturday, Would perchance perchance even 21. Protection of docking and hatch opening will air reside on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the company’s web location.
“I am extremely grateful to our NASA, Boeing, and United Start Alliance groups which accept as true with demonstrated persistence, resolve, and dedication to guaranteeing we accept as true with been ready for begin lately and for this flight take a look at,” said Kathryn Lueders, NASA affiliate administrator for house operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Now we accept as true with learned loads as we’ve worked collectively to arrangement up for this mission, and we survey ahead to watching the spacecraft arrive at the house declare for the main time and persevering with to study and crimson meat up as we prepare to fly our astronauts on Starliner.”
A United Start Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Start Complex 41, Thursday, Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida. Boeing’s Orbital Flight Check-2 (OFT-2) is Starliner’s second uncrewed flight take a look at and can just dock to the International Space Situation as portion of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 launched at 6: 54 p.m. EDT, and can just attend as an pause-to-pause take a look at of the system’s capabilities. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
For the flight take a look at, Starliner is carrying about 500 kilos of NASA cargo and crew offers and more than 300 kilos of Boeing cargo to the International Space Situation. Following certification, NASA missions aboard Starliner will raise as much as four crew members to the declare, enabling the endured expansion of the crew and rising the amount of science and study that would also just even be performed aboard the orbiting laboratory.
OFT-2 will provide treasured info in the direction of NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for usual flights with astronauts to and from the house declare.
Rosie the Rocketeer, Boeing’s anthropometric take a look at tool, claimed her declare all every other time in the commander’s seat within the firm’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for its second uncrewed Orbital Flight Check (OFT-2) for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Rosie’s first flight, OFT, supplied a full bunch of info aspects about what astronauts will experience during flight. For OFT-2, she can aid buy Starliner’s center of gravity during ascent, docking, undocking, and landing. OFT-2 is scheduled to make your mind up on off at 6: 54 p.m. ET Thursday, Would perchance perchance even 19, from Space Start Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Situation in Florida sure for the International Space Situation. Credit: Boeing/John Proferes
“We’ve learned plenty in regards to the functionality of our spacecraft and the resilience of our personnel since the main Starliner begin,” said Tag Nappi, vice chairman and program supervisor, Boeing Commercial Crew Program. “We clean accept as true with a spread of operational finding out ahead as we prepare to rendezvous with the house declare, but we’re able to expose the system we’ve worked so laborious on is able to carrying astronauts to house.”
ULA controlled the begin of the Atlas V rocket from its Atlas Spaceflight Operations Heart in Cape Canaveral. As Starliner ascended into house, Boeing commanded the spacecraft from its mission alter center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Heart in Florida. Boeing and ULA groups also supplied crimson meat as much as controllers from Kennedy Space Heart and Colorado, respectively, throughout the countdown to begin. NASA groups will computer screen house declare operations throughout the flight from Mission Preserve a watch on Heart at the company’s Johnson Space Heart in Houston.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner separates from the Atlas V Centaur second stage on Would perchance perchance even 19, 2022. Credit: NASA
“We’re contented with our partnership role with Boeing in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and wish to thank our mission partners as right here’s if truth be told a collective accomplishment,” said Tory Bruno, president and CEO, United Start Alliance. “The worthwhile begin lately marks the main serious step in the direction of the future of humans spaceflight onboard an Atlas V and we survey ahead to the remainder of the mission and to soundly flying astronauts at some point.”
Starliner is scheduled to depart the house declare Wednesday, Would perchance perchance even 25, when it would undock and return to Earth, with a desolate tract landing in the western U.S. The spacecraft will return with more than 600 kilos of cargo, including Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System reusable tanks that provide breathable air to declare crew members. The tanks will most likely be refurbished on Earth and sent encourage to declare on a future flight.