Third Time’s the Charm: Boeing Starliner Heads to ISS

After two failed previous attempts, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully entered orbit on Thursday night after separating from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. 

An excited crowd gathered in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s exhibition hall for the viewing event. Prior to the countdown, guests explored the USSRC’s newest exhibit, “Planet Pioneers,” before settling in to watch the launch. 

Robert La Branche, Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of the USSRC, acted as emcee for the event. During his remarks, La Branche noted that the OFT-2 marks the 675th launch of the ULA Atlas rocket and the 375th to launch from Cape Canaveral. 

As the Atlas rocket lifted off, the Huntsville audience erupted in loud cheers, followed by another with the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) separation milestone. 

The Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is the second uncrewed flight of the Starliner that will demonstrate the spacecraft’s human transportation capabilities. This test flight is the last major step before the Atlas V and Boeing’s Starliner capsule take American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. 

Built in Decatur, the Atlas V Starliner configuration was modified specifically for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and does not include a standard payload fairing. Instead, the Starliner’s insulated surfaces take the place of the fairing to protect the uncrewed spacecraft during ascent. 

While this mission is uncrewed, it does contain a special passenger: “Rosie the Rocketeer,” Boeing’s first anthropometric test device. During OFT-1, Rosie was outfitted with 15 sensors to collect data on what astronauts will experience during crewed flights on Starliner. 

For OFT-2, spacecraft data ports previously connected to Rosie’s 15 body sensors will be used to collect data from sensors placed along the seat pallet, or the infrastructure that holds all crew seats in place. This test run will enable Starliner to maintain a proper center of gravity during ascent, docking, undocking, and landing. 

The Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the ISS at 6:10 a.m. CST on Friday, May 20. The crew of Expedition 67 will open Starliner’s hatch about 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 21. Starliner is scheduled to depart the Space Station on Wednesday, May 25 and will land in the desert in the western U.S. 

Starliner carries with it over 500 lbs. of NASA cargo and crew supplies and will return to Earth with nearly 600 lbs. of cargo, including reusable Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) tanks that provide breathable air to station crew members. The tanks will be refurbished and returned to the station on a future flight

“I am so proud of the NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance teams who have worked so hard to see Starliner on its way to the International Space Station,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “Through adversity, our teams have continued to innovate for the benefit of our nation and all of humanity. I look forward to a successful end-to-end test of the Starliner spacecraft, which will enable missions with astronauts aboard.”

Images provided by Boeing/Dawn Suiter, the Huntsville Business Journal.