Boeing, NASA Complete First Starliner Space Station Flight Test
WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, May 25, 2022 (Boeing PR) — Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] CST-100 Starliner spacecraft landed at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico at 5:49 p.m. Central Time. The safe return to Earth brings a close to the successful end-to-end uncrewed orbital flight test that was flown to demonstrate the quality and performance of the transportation system prior to crewed flights.
“We have had an excellent flight test of a complex system that we expected to learn from along the way and we have,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program. “Thank you to the NASA and Boeing teammates who have put so much of themselves into Starliner.”
The flight test completed today began May 19 with a launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Capabilities the Starliner demonstrated included:
- End-to-end performance of the Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft through launch, ascent, on-orbit, re-entry and landing;
- Starliner’s autonomous software and the on-orbit operation of its avionics system, docking system, communications/telemetry systems, environmental control systems, solar arrays, electrical power systems, and propulsion systems;
- Ability to hold docking attitude, receive commands from the space station crew, and command holds and retreats during final station approach;
- Battery charging, hatch open and close, establishing joint ventilation with the station, file transfer and cargo transfer.
When Starliner completes its next flight, Boeing will have fulfilled NASA’s goal of having two commercial vehicles to transport astronauts safely, reliably and sustainably to the station from American soil.
“With the completion of OFT-2, we will incorporate lessons learned and continue working to prepare for the crewed flight test and NASA certification,” Nappi added.
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.
For more about Starliner, visit www.boeing.com/starliner. Follow along with the mission on Twitter @BoeingSpace and www.starlinerupdates.com.
26 responses to “Boeing, NASA Complete First Starliner Space Station Flight Test”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Sooooooo………the next flight is with humans? They did not really say that. Seems like they would have really made that clear, loud and proud: NEXT WE FLY PEOPLE!
they will
What did you think of the airbag landing Robert? Pretty interesting…so violent and yet the magic of airbags make it into a thump. I am really curious how that would work on the Moon. If you could hit much faster. Not sure how the physics of that would work.
I like the air bag idea. when I was looking at using the blue gemini vehicle. we explored air bags…
and yes they would work on the Moon. you would probably bounce some, unless of course you slowed a lot. but I’ve looked at a way to do that. I had a story decades ago about a human landing using air bags 🙂
LunarStation: Lunar Soft-Landing Bus (LSLB)
Interorbital Systems is completing the development of its LunarStation to provide low-cost commercial access to the Lunar surface. Up to four shared payloads or a single payload can be accommodated, with a maximum payload capacity is 44.1-lbs (20.0-kg) to the Lunar surface. The soft-landing system relies on airbags to cushion the impact. This method was successfully applied by the Russian Luna 9 lander (in 1966, Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon) and the American Mars Pathfinder. The IOS soft-landing system uses a solid rocket motor to slow the LunarStation before it is jettisoned for an airbag-assisted landing on the Moon. It bounces to a stop on the Lunar surface with its airbag deceleration system, deflates its airbags, opens its petals, and activates its payload(s). On-board features include solar power, communications, and ports for one or more customer payloads (customers can share the on-board power and communication systems). Interorbital’s LunarStation can carry payloads to the surface of the Moon for the lowest cost in the world.
Interorbital is working with Ed Belbruno, a world-renowned aerodynamicist and interplanetary trajectory designer, to develop the Lunar mission trajectory parameters. Belbruno, founder and CEO of Innovative Orbital Design, Inc., was recently awarded the prestigious Humboldt Prize honoring his life’s work (to date!) in Mathematics.
The price for a single 44.1-lbs (20.0-kg) commercial LunarStation payload is $6,000,000. Shared payload costs are calculated based on the number of payloads per mission. If you wish to purchase a payload space on LunarStation or if you have any questions, please call 661.965.0771 or send an email to [email protected].
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
a lot of Beagle heritage or looks like it. I hope it goes…
In this case, Mars Pathfinder and the MER rovers.
Spirit and Oppy…how soon they forget
https://youtu.be/u6lnVDLRDS…
yeah I was just looking at the fold out design, looks a lot like Beagle
It takes big orange balls to land on the Moon.
Inter orbital was about all that is left of pressure-fed religion I guess.
I believe bags are usually designed to let air out in a controlled fashion during impact to decelerate a mass. This would keep a Lander from bouncing.
Congratulations! Hope NASA signs off on it.
After the latest batch of glitchery is fixed though.
well done RGO
Really proud of US trampoline industry revival
You should not be proud of LEO taxis. It is actually embarrassing it has taken so long.
It is Orion that is going back to the prize we never should have taken our eyes off of. The world will give America a standing ovation when SLS lifts off. But the spacex fanboys will be weeping bitter traitor tears for their true and rightful king.
I’m really keen on hearing more from internet commentariums as to what one should and should not be proud of. I was pretty proud of Voyagers 45 years in space and having surface images from Titan, but let me double-check those as well
They were specifically built to carry astronauts to LEO to the ISS.
After most of the useful life of the ISS is over. And the spacex entry has carried tourists on a taxpayer provided ride. Billionaires who pay far less taxes than we do. You go ahead and be proud.
SLSFanboy, IMO, these vehicles should not be viewed as being in a competition, they should be viewed as giving US HSF multiple options (eggs and baskets). Stay safe, Paul.
Whatever you are babbling about as being a competition the death-to-SLS chanting has always been about spacex fans placing their favorite company above their national space program and working actively against NASA.
Actually, both are true. Dragon and Starliner are belt and suspenders for NASA, while to every other potential user they are competing offerings.
Also, the U.S. broomstick industry. 🙂
Lori Garver rides that one.
Boeing! Boinng
Step by step.
http://disq.us/p/2p2jjgg
Yay!
Good news