Nasa gears up for first crewed Starliner spacecraft flight
Nasa could soon have a second “taxi ride” to the International Space Station for its astronauts, as aerospace company Boeing prepares its CST-100 Starliner capsule for commercial operations.
Since 2020, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft have dominated the market in launching astronauts – including an Emirati and two Saudis – to the space station.
Boeing and SpaceX are part of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Programme, in which the US space agency hires private companies to send astronauts and cargo to and from the ISS.
After several delays, Boeing is planning a crewed test flight with two Nasa astronauts in May, with commercial operations expected next year.
“The flight test, currently scheduled to launch in early May due to space station scheduling, will transport Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the orbiting laboratory for a planned stay of up to two weeks,” Nasa said.
Boeing has already completed an uncrewed test flight to the space station in 2022. A Starliner capsule was launched from Florida, docking at the ISS a day later.
That launch came almost three years after a failed test flight in 2019. On that occasion, a software glitch prevented the spacecraft from reaching the station.
The Starliner is reusable like SpaceX’s Dragon craft, but while the Dragon splashes down in the sea, the Boeing craft is designed to land on the ground using airbags.
While the Dragon has sleek, rounded appearance, the Starliner design is more similar to a traditional space capsule. SpaceX designers added four windows to their spacecraft while the Starliner has two.
Both capsules are equipped with modern interiors and touchscreen controls, but their seat layouts are different. Dragon has a toilet, but it is not yet clear if Starliner has one too.
Boeing has been trying to develop a commercial capsule for about a decade, with a launch plagued with delays due to technical problems.
Last month, Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore successfully completed an integrated crew exercise simulation that moved the Starliner a step closer to the scheduled test flight in May.
The astronauts are set to spend about two weeks on the ISS and will evaluate Starliner and its systems.
Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore are vastly experienced Nasa astronauts who have logged 500 days in space between them.
Mr Wilmore is a US Navy captain who has spent 178 days in space. He was selected as an astronaut in 2000.
Ms Williams, a retired US Navy captain, has logged 322 days in space and has completed seven spacewalks totalling 50 hours and 40 minutes.
The Starliner is set to lift off aboard a United Launch Alliance rocket. It will blast off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Since 2020, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft have dominated the market in launching astronauts