NASA, Boeing overview crewed Starliner flight test to space station
NASA and Boeing hosted a teleconference Friday to discuss an upcoming flight test of the Starliner spacecraft, the last such mission intended before the capsule is certified for crew rotation flights to the International Space Station.
WATCH AGAIN: Boeing Starliner test flight successfully launches from Cape Canaveral
Boeingโs reusable Starliner capsule embarked on its second-ever orbital test flight Thursday evening, taking off without a crew from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Delayed again: Boeing Starliner launch pushed into 2022 as teams investigate valve issue
Boeing wonโt be ready to launch a re-do demonstration mission of its troubled Starliner capsule until later next year due to ongoing technical investigations, company and NASA officials confirmed during an update Tuesday, according to News 6 partner Florida Today.
NASA shifts next astronaut launch with SpaceX; Boeing Starliner test flight date TBD
NASA and SpaceX announced Thursday the launch date will move from April 20 to no earlier than Thursday, April 22. Also this week, Boeing and NASA announced they are evaluating a new launch date for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraftโs orbital test flight-2, or OFT-2. โBased on the current traffic at the space station, NASA does not anticipate that OFT-2 can be accomplished later in April. NASA and Boeing are working to find the earliest possible launch date,โ the agency said. AdWhen it does launch, Starliner will dock at the ISS and return to Earth for its final test before NASA, hopefully, approves the spacecraft to fly astronauts.
Texas power outages delay Boeingโs repeat Starliner test launch
Boeing announced Wednesday the repeat orbital test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will be pushed at least one week because of winter storm-related impacts and launch preparations. This will be the second attempt for Boeingโs Starliner OFT after a December 2019 test flight ended early following a computer timing error. More: https://t.co/FbW44dd6ss pic.twitter.com/x9nicAtibN โ Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) February 17, 2021Boeing is now targeting no earlier than April 2. Prior to this flight, Boeing and NASA completed an extensive review of the ill-fated December 2019 orbital test flight, which ended 48 hours after launch. Following a full review of the test, Boeing could fly its first astronaut crew in December, according to NASAโs most recent timeline.
Boeing bumps up Starliner launch date, docking with space station
In December, Boeing officials said they were targeting March 29 but now the company is planning to repeat the orbital flight test on March 25. Additionally, a March 25 launch would mean there is room for Starliner to dock at the space station. Boeing teams recently mated Starlinerโs crew module on the spacecraft service module at Kennedy Space Center. โTeams conducted a full software review and several series of tests to verify Starlinerโs software meets design specifications,โ the company said in a news release. Following a full review of the test, Boeing could fly its first astronaut crew in December, according to NASAโs most recent timeline.
Boeing, NASA set March date for Starliner orbital test flight redo
Boeing and NASA announced March 29, 2021 for the next launch of the capsule designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. There wonโt be any humans on this flight but itโs the final test before Boeing can launch astronauts for NASA. Boeing revealed the mission patch for OFT-2 slated for March 2021 (WKMG 2020)After an extensive joint investigation with NASA, Boeing officials say they are ready for orbital flight test 2, or OFT-2. The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft near the U.S. Armyโs White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. If OFT-2 goes well, Starliner will next launch three NASA astronauts, Nicole Mann, Mike Fincke and Barry โButchโ Wilmore.
Boeingโs test pilot pulls himself from first crewed Starliner launch
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. โ Chris Ferguson, a former NASA astronaut, will no longer pilot the first crewed flight of the Boeingโs astronaut Starliner spacecraft, he announced Tuesday. Later that year, Ferguson joined Boeingโs executive team developing the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft under NASAโs Commercial Crew Program. Breaking: Butch Wilmore to fly on the Boeing Starliner crew flight test alongside NASA Astronauts Nicole Mann (@AstroDuke) and Mike Fincke (@AstroIronMike). This marks the second crew change for the Starliner test flight. Boeing still has to repeat its uncrewed test flight to and from the space station before it can fly astronauts.
Testing opportunities missed ahead of ill-fated Boeing Starliner spaceflight, review finds
Last week, Boeing Starliner Program Manager John Mulholland said Boeing will now test the spacecraft software from start to finish prior to launch. The Boeing Starliner Orbital Test Flight on Dec. 20 was part of the process to certify the spacecraft to fly NASA astronauts. โQuite frankly we donโt know,โ Loverro said when asked about another uncrewed test flight. Boeingโs Senior Vice President Jim Chilton said the company is ready to repeat a test flight without a crew, if NASA asks. A high-visibility close call like Starlinerโs triggers a review of Boeing as a whole in addition to the independent review just completed, according to NASA.
Starliner spacecraft back at Kennedy Space Center, investigative work begins
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. โ Boeingโs Starliner spacecraft is back at NASAโs Kennedy Space Center where teams are working to determine what caused a timing error during its first spaceflight last month. Boeing team members will begin taking the spacecraft apart and analyzing data from the orbital test flight to determine what went right and what went wrong during the test flight in December. Ramon Sanchez, Boeing Senior Operations Lead, speaks to reporters in front of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 15, 2020. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 15, 2020. The investigation into the orbital test flight is expected to last about two months.
Will Boeing need to repeat Starliner spacecraft test flight without astronauts? TBD, NASA says
Boeing brought Starliner back to Earth where it landed in New Mexico 48 hours later, instead of docking with the ISS. NASA is currently evaluating the Starlinerโs flight data to determine if another uncrewed test flight is required. NASA tapped SpaceX and Boeing to build and operate spacecraft to fly American astronauts. SpaceX completed an uncrewed test flight last spring with its Crew Dragon spacecraft. The OFT Starliner spacecraft is currently en route from New Mexico back to Boeingโs facilities at Kennedy Space Center.
Boeing working on next steps after aborted Starliner mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ Engineers are working to determine what's next for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft after it returned to Earth following a failed mission to the International Space Station. So, weโll really have all the data at the end,โ Chilton said. The capsule landed in White Sands, New Mexico after its mission was cut down to only two days in space. After Sunday's landing, it's unclear how Boeing's plan to send a crewed mission to space will be affected, but NASA officials said it may not be a big setback for the private company. While the capsule didn't fulfill its entire mission, leaders at Boeing said they still have confidence in Starliner, which met most of its test flight objectives.
CBS News space analyst explains what Starliner mishap could mean for future of human spaceflight
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. โ As NASA and Boeing work through the weekend to uncover what exactly went wrong with the Starliner thrusters, CBS News Space Analyst Bill Harwood is reacting to what happened. When mission control first encountered the issue with the thrusters not firing on time, Harwood said his mind went right to the problem-solvers. We donโt know yet.โ[STUNNING PHOTO: Airline passenger snaps coolest photo of Starliner launch]Harwood said itโs still an exciting time for space travel on the Space Coast. โWhen you think about launching people from the U.S. soil once again, thatโs exciting,โ he said. Certainly here in the CBS building -- it has fired us up because watching that rocket take off this morning was pretty darn exciting.โ
Boeing astronaut capsule test flight delayed
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ Boeingโs first launch of its astronaut spacecraft will shift by at least two days to Dec. 19, officials with the company said. โBoth the rocket and the spacecraft are healthy and moving through standard pre-launch processing,โ Boeing officials said in a tweet. While crews were preparing the Atlas V rocket for launch, they discovered an issue with the rocketโs purge air supply duct, according to ULA. โAdditional time was needed for the ULA and Boeing teams to complete an analysis of the issue, replace the duct and complete processing ahead of launch,โ ULA said in a statement. Most recently, ULA and Boeing mated the capsule to the rocket at the launch facility.
Boeing names space test dummy Rosie after WWII riveter
As Boeing moved its Starliner crew capsule to its pad Thursday for a launch next month, the company revealed the name of the test dummy on board. Rosie the Astronaut is named after World War IIโs Rosie the Riveter. The dummy has hundreds of sensors for the first Starliner test flight to the International Space Station. Boeing said it chose the name given its long history of hiring women, especially during World War II to keep up bomber production. SpaceX turned to the โAlienโ movies in naming its test dummy, Ripley, launched aboard a crew Dragon capsule in March.