OFT-2 is set up to introduce Thursday, May 19, to show the systems human transport abilities.
About 24 hours after launch, Starliner will rendezvous and dock to the space station and after that return to Earth five to 10 days later. The test is the last flight prior to the Starliner system introduces American astronauts on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) to the microgravity lab– the spacecrafts very first flight test with a crew on board. Prospective launch windows for CFT are under review and will be identified after a safe and effective OFT-2.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is a class of 2 partly recyclable spacecraft developed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth orbit locations. It is produced by Boeing for its involvement in NASAs Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The spacecraft consists of a recyclable team pill and an expendable service module.
The capsule has a diameter of 4.56 m (15.0 feet), which is slightly larger than the Apollo command module and SpaceX Dragon 2, however smaller sized than the Orion capsule. It holds a team of approximately 7 people and is designed to be able to stay docked to ISS for approximately 7 months and to be recycled for up to ten missions.
About 24 hours after launch, Starliner will rendezvous and dock to the area station and then return to Earth five to 10 days later on. The test is the last flight before the Starliner system releases American astronauts on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) to the microgravity laboratory– the spacecrafts first flight test with a crew on board. The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is a class of 2 partly multiple-use spacecraft developed to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth orbit locations.
Boeing Starliner. Credit: Boeing
On Wednesday, May 4, Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft was accompanied the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will launch the spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station on an uncrewed flight test for NASAs Commercial Crew Program.
Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolls out from the companys Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 4, 2022, on its way to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson
Throughout the operation, Starliner rolled out of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and made its method to Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for the companys 2nd uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2).
United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket and Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft are completely put together in preparation for an incorporated systems test. Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson.
Starliner was raised and carefully put onto the rocket and now is totally put together and prepared for an integrated systems test, a tip-to-tail electrical check of the 172-foot-tall Atlas V and Starliner stack.
