A Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft sits atop a ULA Atlas V rocket in July 2021.
Boeing / John Grant
Boeing is scheduled to re-launch the Starliner capsule for the crew in a second attempt to dock at the International Space Station on Tuesday, August 3 (there will be no people on board). Boeing The first attempt failed at the end of 2019 To reach the International Space Station, but landed safely on Earth.
The mission was originally scheduled to take off on Friday, but is now targeting Tuesday after that Unexpected problem last Thursday with the ISS unit They fired his missiles shortly after docking at the station.
“The ISS team will use the time to continue monitoring the newly arrived Roscosmos Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) and ensure that the station is ready for Starliner arrival,” NASA says: in the current situation.
Software errors and a communication link issue led to an early end to Boeing’s original test flight in 2019, even though the Starliner CST-100 capsule landed safely on Earth. The upcoming Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission is an opportunity for Boeing to thoroughly examine its hardware and software before a crew of three American astronauts fly aboard the Starliner.
Both Boeing and SpaceX are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which includes sending astronauts to the International Space Station from US soil. SpaceX has now brought 10 astronauts to the International Space Station, and Boeing is eager to catch up. First, he must prove that his Starliner can safely reach the International Space Station and return to Earth.
NASA will broadcast the launch, which is scheduled to take place 10:20 a.m. PT (1:20 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, August 3. Coverage is expected to begin at 9:30 AM PT.
The Starliner was launched on an Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance (ULA). The capsule will be filled with approximately 400 pounds of crew and cargo supplies. If all goes well, you’ll be with the space station about 24 hours later, on Wednesday, August 4. The docking base will also be broadcast live by NASA’s NASA Television.
ULA shared some pretty pictures From the launch site on Monday as it prepares to take off.
Starliner will spend five to 10 days on the International Space Station before returning research samples to Earth. Boeing wants to return the spacecraft for a soft parachute landing in the New Mexico desert.
OFT-2 will provide valuable data that will help NASA certify the Boeing Crew Transportation System to transport astronauts to and from the space station. NASA said in a statement on July 22 Upon successful completion of the Flight Readiness Assessment.
The mission is an important step in NASA’s plans to conduct regular launches with crews from the United States, and end reliance on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. If all goes well, the first manned mission, Boe-CFT, could be launched in the next six months.
continued CNET Space Calendar for 2021 To keep up with the latest space news for the year. You can even add it to your Google Calendar.
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