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Boeing Crew Flight Test

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Boeing Crew Flight Test
Boeing Starliner CFT crew capsule mounted atop a ULA Atlas V launch vehicle at launch pad undergoing pre-launch preparations
NamesBoe-CFT[1]
Mission typeTest flight
OperatorBoeing Defense, Space & Security
COSPAR ID2024-109A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.59968Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration149 days, 18 hours and 30 minutes
~8 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftBoeing Starliner Calypso
Spacecraft typeBoeing Starliner
ManufacturerBoeing Defense, Space & Security
Crew
Crew size2
Members
Start of mission
Launch date5 June 2024, 14:52:14 UTC
RocketAtlas V N22[a]
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
End of mission
Landing dateTBD
Landing siteTBD[b]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with International Space Station
Docking portHarmony forward
Docking date6 June 2024, 16:15 UTC (Planned)
Undocking dateTBD
Time dockedTBD

Williams (left) and Wilmore (Right)

Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boe-CFT) is the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner and the third orbital flight test of the Starliner overall after the two uncrewed orbital flight tests, Boe-OFT and Boe-OFT 2 in 2019 and 2022.

The first crewed flight test was initially planned to occur in 2017.[2] Various delays pushed the launch of the CFT mission to no earlier than 21 July 2023.[3] Boeing announced in August 2023 that it would be delayed to no earlier than March 2024 due to issues with the parachute system and wiring harnesses and further investigations.[4]

The mission entails flying a crew of two NASA astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, to the International Space Station for a one-week test flight and then returning the crew via a ground landing in the American Southwest. The spacecraft was integrated with the Atlas launch vehicle on 16 April 2024 in preparation for launch.[5]

The flight was scheduled for liftoff at 2:34 UTC on 7 May 2024, but was scrubbed about two hours before liftoff due to an oxygen valve problem on the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V.[c][6][7] After the initial scrub, the launch was repeatedly delayed due to a helium leak in the Starliner service module.[8]

The second launch attempt was on 1 June at 16:25 UTC, but was scrubbed 3 minutes, 50 seconds before liftoff when the ground launch sequencer computer registered a loss of redundancy due to a faulty power supply. The third launch attempt on 5 June at 14:52 UTC was successful.

Capsule

CFT is the second mission for the Starliner Calypso capsule, which was first used on the first Orbital Flight Test. NASA announced that Boeing prepared to reassemble the vehicle for flight, following multiple checkouts, for the CFT mission in August 2020, and that new parachutes and airbags would be fitted. The CFT capsule's docking system was modified to accommodate the new re-entry cover that debuted on the OFT 2 test flight.[9]

Crew

Nicole Aunapu Mann was initially assigned to this mission, which would have made her the first woman to fly on the maiden crewed flight of an orbital spacecraft, but was subsequently reassigned to the SpaceX Crew-5 mission as the first female commander of a NASA Commercial Crew Program launch.[10] Due to medical reasons, Eric Boe, who was originally assigned to the mission in August 2018 as the pilot was replaced by Michael Fincke on 22 January 2019. Boe will replace Fincke as the assistant to the chief for commercial crew in the astronaut office at NASA's Johnson Space Center.[11] Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson was originally assigned to the flight as commander, but he was replaced by NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore on 7 October 2020. Ferguson cited family reasons for the replacement.[12] Matthew Dominick replaced him on the backup crew.[13]

On 18 April 2022, NASA said that it had not finalized which of the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Sunita Williams, will fly on this mission or the first operational Starliner mission.[14] On 16 June 2022, NASA confirmed that this CFT mission will be a two-person flight test, consisting of Wilmore and Williams; Fincke is to train as the backup spacecraft test pilot and remains eligible for assignment to a future mission.[15] Williams is expected to become the first woman to fly on the maiden crewed flight of an orbital spacecraft type (Judith Resnik was the first female crew member on the maiden flight of an orbital spacecraft, the Space Shuttle Discovery, followed by Kathryn Thornton on Endeavour, Shannon Walker on Crew Dragon Resilience, Kayla Barron on Endurance, and Samantha Cristoforetti and Jessica Watkins on Freedom).

Prime crew
Position Crew member
Spacecraft Commander United States Barry Eugene Wilmore, NASA
Third spaceflight
Pilot United States Sunita Williams, NASA
Third spaceflight
Backup crew
Position Crew member
Spacecraft Commander United States Michael Fincke, NASA

Mission

The third launch of the Atlas V N22[a] variant will launch Starliner with a crew of two. The vehicle will dock with the International Space Station, and return to Earth for a ground landing in the southwestern United States.

A toy narwhal, also named "Calypso", will be used by the crew as a zero-gravity indicator, signaling when the craft has reached weightlessness.[16]

This will be the first launch of a crewed spacecraft by an Atlas V launch vehicle. In addition, Boe-CFT will be the first launch of a crewed spacecraft utilizing a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles since Project Mercury in the early 1960s,[17] and the first launch of a crewed spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station since that of Apollo 7 in October 1968.[17]

Based upon space station resources and scheduling needs, a short-duration mission with two astronaut test pilots is sufficient to meet all NASA and Boeing test objectives for CFT, which include demonstrating Starliner's ability to safely fly operational crewed missions to and from the space station. To protect against unforeseen events with crew transportation to and from the station, NASA may extend the duration of the CFT docking for up to six months.[15]

The Starliner will make a ground landing, a first for a crewed capsule mission launched from the United States. After reentering the atmosphere, three parachutes will be deployed, slowing the capsule to approximately 4 miles per hour (350 ft/min; 1.8 m/s). Before reaching the ground, six airbags will deploy to cushion the landing. There are four primary landing locations, including two sites inside the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Willcox Playa in Arizona and the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Edwards Air Force Base in California serves as a contingency landing location.[18]

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 6 May 2024, 10:34:00 pm Scrubbed — Centaur LOX valve issue 6 May 2024, 8:32 pm ​(T-02:01:30) 95
2 1 Jun 2024, 12:25:40 pm Scrubbed 25 days 13 hours 52 minutes Ground launch sequencer computer fault 1 Jun 2024, 12:22 pm ​(T-00:03:35) 90
3 5 Jun 2024, 10:52:14 am Success 3 days 22 hours 27 minutes 90

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b N22 designates that the Atlas V has no payload fairing, two solid rocket boosters, and two Centaur second-stage engines.
  2. ^ Potential landing locations include two sites inside the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Willcox Playa in Arizona, the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and Edwards Air Force Base in California.
  3. ^ Boeing owns a 50% stake in ULA, and also helped develop the Atlas V

References

  1. ^ "International Space Station Status" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 13 April 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Boeing and SpaceX Selected to Build America's New Crew Space Transportation System". NASA. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2023.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Foust, Jeff (29 March 2023). "Starliner crewed test flight delayed to July". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  4. ^ Berger, Eric (7 August 2023). "Starliner undergoing three independent investigations as flight slips to 2024". Ars Technica.
  5. ^ "Boeing, ULA roll Starliner spacecraft out to pad 41 ahead of Crew Flight Test launch in May". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ^ Speck, Emilee (5 May 2024). "Watch live: Boeing Starliner ready to launch NASA astronauts from Florida". Fox Weather. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  7. ^ William Harwood. "Starliner launch scrubbed by trouble with a valve in the Atlas 5's Centaur upper stage". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  8. ^ Harwood, William (21 May 2024). "NASA orders yet another delay for Boeing's hard-luck Starliner". CBS News. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  9. ^ Clark, Stephen (25 August 2020). "Boeing plans second Starliner test flight in December 2020 or January 2021". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  10. ^ Potter, Sean (6 October 2021). "NASA Announces Astronaut Changes for Upcoming Commercial Crew Missions" (Press release). NASA. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ Granath, Bob (22 January 2019). "NASA Announces Updated Crew Assignment for Boeing Flight Test" (Press release). NASA. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2019. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ Roulette, Joey (7 October 2020). "Boeing's top Starliner astronaut pulls out of space mission role". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  13. ^ Evans, Ben (13 February 2021). "Lindgren, Hines Assigned to Crew-4 Dragon Mission, Will Launch Next Year". AmericaSpace.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. ^ Clark, Stephen (18 May 2022). "Starliner astronauts eager to see results of crew capsule test flight". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  15. ^ a b Potter, Sean (16 June 2022). "NASA Updates Astronaut Assignments for Boeing Starliner Test Flight". NASA. Retrieved 17 June 2022.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  16. ^ "'Sparkly' narwhal toy trades sea for space as Starliner zero-g indicator". collectSPACE. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b Sloan, Kaycee (1 May 2024). "Astronauts to launch from Cape Canaveral for first human spaceflight in nearly 56 years". WFLA-TV. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  18. ^ "NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Mission Overview". NASA. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
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