Boeing’s Starliner capsule, after overcoming delays, ready for its manned debut
After years of delays and a budget that went more than $1 billion over budget, Boeing’s Starliner capsule is ready for its first crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a pivotal moment for the company and NASA.
This is the first manned flight of the Starliner capsule, in which two pilots from the US Space Agency will carry out a critical test of the vehicle during a week-long stay at the station. This mission seeks to demonstrate an alternative to SpaceX’s already operational Crew Dragon, which has launched 50 astronauts, cosmonauts, and civilians into space on 13 manned flights since May 2020.
Unlike SpaceX, Boeing has faced numerous technical problems that have required extensive redo work and additional unmanned testing to resolve. However, mission managers assure that all known problems were corrected and that the ship was subjected to multiple improvements and exhaustive tests to verify its ability to safely transport astronauts to and from the ISS.
The crewed demonstration mission is scheduled for a night launch on Monday, May 6, marking a pivotal moment for both Boeing and NASA, with the expectation of alternating future missions between Boeing and SpaceX, The news agency confirmed. Associated Press.
The astronauts commanding the Starliner, both Navy test pilots and space veterans, express confidence in the mission. Barry “Butch” Wilmore, commander of the mission, said he had “full confidence in the management that makes the decisions… That’s in the past. “That’s not now.”
For her part, co-pilot Sunita Williams highlighted the learning obtained from previous experiences, ensuring that “we wouldn’t say we were ready if we weren’t.” The launch is scheduled from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the first time astronauts will be launched using an Atlas rocket since the last Mercury mission more than 60 years ago, CBS News reported.
The Atlas 5, equipped with a Russian-built RD-180 first stage engine, was qualified for manned flights, standing out for its high-reliability components and an advanced emergency failure detection system designed to ensure a safe escape in the event of imminent failure during launch.
Likewise, Starliner has powerful abort engines and systems that allow Wilmore and Williams, if necessary, to manually trigger an abort, as well as provide direct manual control in case of complications during launch or in orbit.
The flight of the Starliner is not only an achievement for Boeing but also for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which after retiring the space shuttle, assigned contracts to SpaceX and Boeing with the goal of resuming the launch of American astronauts from American soil and ensure redundant access to the ISS.
While SpaceX achieved its goals of successfully flying astronauts into space, Boeing seeks to demonstrate with this mission that it is also capable of fulfilling the same commitment. A success on this mission would not only validate Boeing’s investment of more than $1 billion to overcome the technical obstacles encountered but would also solidify its position as a vital player in the future of human space transportation.
Assuming the launch and mission go smoothly, Wilmore and Williams will oversee a largely automated rendezvous with the ISS, demonstrating the spacecraft’s ability to carry out the required flight path and intervene after a major failure if necessary.
The Starliner is expected to land on the ground, using parachutes and airbags to soften the impact, a feature that distinguishes it from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. This landing is planned at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, subject to favorable weather conditions.