The unmanned flight paves the way for the crew’s missions
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner landed in the White Sands Missile Range spaceport on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in New Mexico. Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is Starliner’s second unmanned flight test to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s commercial crew program. OFT-2 serves as an end-to-end test of the system’s capabilities. Photo: (NASA / Bill Ingals)
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner landed at the U.S. Army’s New Sands missile range in New Mexico at 5:49 p.m. The safe return to Earth is close to the successful end-to-end unmanned orbital flight that was demonstrated to demonstrate the quality and performance of the transport system prior to crew flights.
“We had an excellent flight test of a complex system that we expected to learn along the way, and we did,” said Mark Napie, vice president and program manager, Boeing’s sales crew program. “Thanks to the NASA and Boeing teammates who put so much of themselves into Starliner.
The summer test, completed today, began on May 19 with a launch from the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida on top of the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. The capabilities that Starliner demonstrates include:
- Full presentation of the Atlas V rocket and the Starliner spacecraft by launching, ascending, orbiting, re-entering and landing;
- Starliner’s stand-alone software and orbiting its avionics system, docking system, communication / telemetry systems, environmental control systems, solar grilles, electrical power systems and propulsion systems;
- Ability to hold a docking position, receive commands from the space station crew and command hold and withdraw as you approach the final station;
- Charging the battery, opening and closing the hatch, establishing joint ventilation with the station, transferring files and transferring loads.
When Starliner completes its next flight, Boeing will meet NASA’s goal of having two commercial vehicles to transport astronauts safely, securely and sustainably to the station from US soil.
“With the completion of OFT-2, we will incorporate the lessons learned and continue to work to prepare for the NASA flight test and certification,” Napi added.
WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, May 25, 2022
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