After years of delays, the time has finally come: the first manned test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spaceship.
If everything goes according to plan, two NASA astronauts will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) tonight with a ‘new’ spaceship. This mission was actually planned for 2018, but was postponed for years due to technical problems.
On board the Starliner, also known as CST-100, developed by Boeing, are American astronauts Barry Wilmore (61) and Sunita Williams (58). The launch from Cape Canaveral Space Base in Florida is scheduled for 4:34 a.m. Dutch time, on the night of Monday to Tuesday. The astronauts will then spend ten days on the ISS before returning to Earth and making a parachute landing in the southwestern United States.
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Unfair fight
NASA itself no longer wants spaceships that transport astronauts and cargo to and from the ISS, and would rather outsource this to the commercial sector. In 2014, the space agency therefore gave development subsidies to Boeing and SpaceX.
That seemed a bit of an unfair battle at the time. Boeing was one of the largest aerospace companies and had already built several rockets and spaceships. SpaceX, on the other hand, was still a newcomer. Yet SpaceX already organized the first crewed flights to the ISS in 2020, while Boeing’s Starliner was still plagued by a series of technical failures.
Lots of delays
The Starliner’s first unmanned test flight was scheduled for 2015, but was postponed until 2019 due to development issues. When it finally happened, software bugs caused the internal clock to malfunction, causing the engine to burn for too long. The spaceship flew past the ISS.
Boeing had to postpone a second attempt again in 2021. Just before launch, the company discovered that the valves on the fuel tanks were not working and had to cancel the mission. It worked in 2022. The Starliner arrived at the ISS and also returned safely to Earth.
That test did reveal technical defects with the thrusters and cooling systems. It later turned out that there were problems with the parachutes, which are supposed to slow the vessel down on return. That in turn led to delays
Boeing and NASA are now confident that all problems have been resolved and that the Starliner is ready for a manned test flight.
That will be a nerve-wracking moment for all parties involved, but it is extra exciting for Boeing. The company’s aerospace department is under fire after the Starliner problems. But the aviation department is also under pressure after a series of accidents. So Boeing could use a success.
Starliner is reusable
If no new problems arise and the weather remains favorable, an Atlas V launch vehicle will launch the Starliner into space tonight. The spacecraft then disconnects and travels to the ISS, which it will reach after about 26 hours.
The Starliner is 5 meters high and 4.6 meters wide. There is room for seven astronauts, although it is unlikely that there will be more than four travelers on board very often. Most of the spacecraft is reusable and is expected to be able to make ten flights.
Once the Starliner is fully operational, NASA hopes to alternate between the SpaceX and Boeing spaceships. Although the ISS will be retired in 2030, both devices could also be used for transport to future (commercial) space stations.
Sources: BBC, AP News
