Boeings CST-100 Starliner team ship approaches the International Spaceport station on the businesss Orbital Flight Test-2 mission prior to automatically docking to the Harmony modules forward port. The orbiting lab was flying 268 miles above the south Pacific at the time of this photo. Credit: NASA
NASA will offer live coverage of the upcoming return activities for the firms Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). It took off at 6:54 p.m. EDT on May 19 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and effectively docked to the International Space Stations Harmony module for the very first time on May 20 at 8:28 p.m. EDT. As part of the uncrewed flight test, Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will leave from the International Space Station for a landing in the western United States.
The spacecraft is arranged to autonomously undock from the area station to begin the journey home at 2:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 25. NASA and Boeing are targeting 6:49 p.m. for the landing and conclusion of OFT-2, concluding a six-day mission checking the end-to-end abilities of the Starliner system.
The return and associated activities will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the companys website.
In advance of Starliners return, commercial crew astronauts at the space station will consult with NASA leadership and make farewell remarks prior to closing the hatch to the uncrewed spacecraft.
Teams are targeting White Sands Space Harbor at the U.S. Armys White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico as the main landing site, with a backup White Sands opportunity Friday, May 27. The spacecraft will return with more than 600 pounds of freight, consisting of Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System reusable tanks that offer breathable air to station crew members. The tanks will be refilled on Earth and returned to the area station on a future flight.
NASAs Boeing OFT-2 return coverage on NASA TV is as follows and all times go through alter based on objective operations (all times are Eastern):.
Tuesday, May 24.
12:20 p.m.– NASA Administrator occasion on Starliners flight test with business crew astronauts at station.
12:55 p.m.– Starliner goodbye event.
1:30 p.m.– Hatch closure TV protection starts for 1:55 p.m. hatch closing.
Wednesday, May 25.
2 p.m.– TV coverage starts for the 2:36 p.m. undocking. NASA will break coverage after the spacecraft exits joint operations with the spaceport station.
5:45 p.m.– Coverage begins for 6:05 p.m. deorbit burn and 6:49 p.m. landing in the western United States.
9 p.m.– Return to Earth press conference on NASA TV from NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston:.
Boeings CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the companys Orbital Flight Test-2 objective before automatically docking to the Harmony modules forward port. Credit: NASA
NASA will supply live protection of the upcoming return activities for the firms Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). It raised off at 6:54 p.m. EDT on May 19 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and effectively docked to the International Space Stations Harmony module for the very first time on May 20 at 8:28 p.m. EDT. As part of the uncrewed flight test, Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will depart from the International Space Station for a landing in the western United States.
Steve Stich, supervisor, NASAs Commercial Crew Program.
Joel Montalbano, supervisor, NASAs International Space Station Program.
Suni Williams, NASA astronaut.
Mark Nappi, vice president and program supervisor, Boeing.