After years of setbacks and delays, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to launch for the first time on Monday with astronauts on board, bound for the International Space Station (ISS), thus joining the very select club of spaceships that have transported humans.
Boeing is playing a big role in this final test mission, which should allow it to prove its ship is safe before launching regular missions toward the satellite. State Security Investigationalready four years behind SpaceX.
US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams are scheduled to lift off on Monday at 10:34 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Starliner capsule, which will be propelled into orbit by a ULA Group Atlas V rocket.
Starliner opening crew: Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore.
Photography: Reuters/Joe Skipper
The weather forecast looks very favourable.
Both of these veterans, both from the US Navy, have already visited the site State Security Investigationon board a space shuttle, then the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
But this time, Everything is new, everything is unique, the ship itself, the way it flies
Butch Wilmore noted. I don't think any of us would dare to dream of participating in the maiden voyage of a brand new ship.
joy.
to NASAWho ordered this vehicle ten years ago, the challenge is also great: having a second vehicle in addition to the SpaceX vehicle to transport American astronauts. very important
Dana Weigel, program director, confirmed State Security Investigation.
This capability will allow us to respond better Different scenarios
She explained that emergencies, for example, in the event of a problem on one of the ships.
Once in space, the astronauts will temporarily manually drive the spacecraft, in order to validate the operation of this mode.
The Starliner must then dock with State Security Investigation Wednesday and stay there a little over a week. New tests will be conducted, and then the two astronauts will return with him to Earth.
Some unexpected events since 2019
The success of this mission would bring a good end to the ship's development program, a saga marked by unpleasant surprises.
In 2019, during the first unmanned test, it was not possible to put the capsule on the right track and return it without reaching the target. State Security Investigation.
Then in 2021, while the rocket was on the launch pad to retry flight, a problem with clogged valves in the capsule led to another delay.
The empty ship finally made it to State Security Investigation In May 2022.
From now on, the first flight with the crew should allow the capsule to be certified, so that it can then begin its role as a taxi to the station.
Boeing had hoped to carry out this first manned flight in 2022, but problems that were discovered late, especially with parachutes braking the capsule during its return to the Earth’s atmosphere, once again caused delays.
A number of things were surprises that we had to overcome
Boeing Director Mark Nappi said in a press conference: But This made our team very strong, and proud of the way they overcame every problem
.
It typically takes ten years to develop a spacecraft for humans
he added.
Astronauts, just like Boeing and NASAwe expect new unexpected events to punctuate this mission, which aims to discover if there is a grain of sand in the gears.
NASA will fly in a new spacecraft”,”text”:In the history of American spaceflight, this will be only the sixth time that NASA astronauts have flown in a new spacecraft”}}”>In the history of American spaceflight, this will be only the sixth time astronauts have exited space NASA He will fly in a new ship
Jim Frye, associate director at… NASA.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule joined this list in 2020, following the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs.
Once you turn on the Starliner, it will turn on NASA It wants to alternate between SpaceX and Boeing flights to take its astronauts into space State Security Investigation.
In 2014, the space agency signed a contract worth US$4.2 billion with Boeing and US$2.6 billion with SpaceX to develop these ships.
Everyone thought Boeing would get there first
Eric Seedhouse, an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told AFP. SpaceX made it happen before Starliner became too embarrassing for Boeing.
while State Security Investigation Scheduled to retire in 2030, both Starliner and Dragon could then be used to transport humans to future private space stations, which several companies are already planning to build.
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