In less than three months, NASA plans to send two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. The space agency has announced that the spacecraft’s first crewed test flight is scheduled for April, highlighting significant progress in addressing technical issues identified during the flight certification process.
The Starliner has faced challenges in the past, experiencing a failed test flight in 2019 before successfully completing an unmanned mission to the ISS in 2022. Ongoing issues following this achievement have led to delays in the Starliner’s inaugural crewed mission. However, NASA indicates that substantial efforts are being made to resolve these problems, indicating that the spacecraft is nearing readiness for its upcoming space mission.
NASA has recently conducted a successful drop test to validate modifications made to the spacecraft’s parachute system. The next six to eight weeks will involve a comprehensive analysis of the test data, culminating in an overall system certification process. This certification ensures that the Starliner’s parachute system aligns with crew safety requirements.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the Starliner, has undertaken additional safety measures by removing over 17 pounds (approximately 4,300 feet) of P213 tape from the spacecraft’s crew module. NASA identified this material as potentially posing a flammability risk under specific environmental conditions.
Simultaneously, the mission support teams have engaged in a two-day undock-to-landing dress rehearsal with the recovery crew at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This comprehensive rehearsal involved executing various procedures and sequences, encompassing power-up, undocking, entry, landing, and crew recovery. The exercise provided an opportunity for both NASA and Boeing to practice and refine the Starliner’s return-to-Earth procedures in preparation for the imminent flight.
Nevertheless, there are still tasks to complete before liftoff, including finalizing preparations on the Starliner, conducting rehearsals for every phase of the mission, fueling the spacecraft, readying the rocket, and conducting a meticulous systems check.
The Starliner is set to launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be transported to the ISS, where they will spend up to two weeks conducting activities aboard the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth in the Starliner, landing in the southwestern United States. For the latest updates on the Starliner’s progress, interested individuals can follow NASA’s Crew Flight Test Mission blog.
