The test flight of the Boeing astronaut capsule Starliner to the space station ISS is full of obstacles. After the first test failed in December 2019, Boeing wanted to make another attempt this Friday to reach the ISS with its capsule. The space agency NASA canceled it on Thursday evening German time.
The reason was an incident with the new Russian ISS research module Nauka, which docked on Thursday. Due to misfires on the module, the ISS changed its position by 45 degrees in the meantime, which could be remedied according to NASA. Astronauts were not injured in the accident. Now it is to be ensured that the Boeing capsule can safely dock on the ISS. According to NASA, the new start date is Tuesday, August 3rd at the earliest. Nasa and the Russian Roskosmos want to investigate the incident with the module in detail.
The first test flight failed in December 2019 because the unoccupied Starliner Due to software and communication problems after take-off, it could not be steered into a train in the direction of the ISS. An independent commission of experts then identified around 80 points to remedy the problems that Boeing and NASA had worked through in the past 18 months. “We are ready to go,” said Nasa ISS manager Joel Montalbano this week after countless simulation flights. Boeing Vice President John Vollmer was optimistic: “We could probably have started with a crew,” he said, the only thing missing was the oxygen. Boeing had agreed to pay for the second test attempt itself.
the StarlinerCapsule, which can otherwise take four space travelers, only has a dummy named Rosie the Rocketeer and 215 kilograms of cargo on board during the second test flight. She is supposed to be from launch pad 41 of Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral / Florida with a Atlas V– United Launch Alliance (Boeing, Lockheed) missile lift off and later dock with the ISS.
Space-X supports Boeing in this. For example, astronauts relocated the Space-X crew capsule, which has been in space since April, last week to free a docking station that is easier to navigate. For the first time, two different US crew capsules would be docked on the ISS at the same time. “It is very important for the commercial occupation program to have two space transport systems,” said NASA manager Steve Stich to the press.
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule was scheduled to take off for the ISS without astronauts this Friday. That is now being delayed.
(Photo: Gregg Newton / AFP)
Nasa and Boeing also want to test the communication system between the capsule and the space station, on which there are currently seven astronauts. Boeing manager Vollmer said some systems could only be fully tested under in-orbit conditions. In view of the delays, it is now “extremely important that we are successful with this flight”. The return is scheduled just under a week after the start in New Mexico. The capsule brings about 260 kilos of cargo to earth, including hardware that was used for scientific experiments.
If everything goes well this time, Boeing could possibly start its regular astronaut flights to the ISS next winter – with initially three NASA astronauts. Boeing currently has two airworthy Starlinerwho are allowed to fly ten times each. In addition to Space-X, the group emerged victorious from a tender by the NASA space agency, which was launched after the end of the Space shuttle ten years ago was looking for ways to regain one’s own access to space. Generations of astronauts meanwhile had to deal with the Russian Soyuz fly to the space station. Since May last year, Space-X has already flown three crews there, including a test flight. Nasa has invested around $ 8.4 billion to be able to start again from Florida. According to NASA, a seat at Space-X costs about 55 million dollars, and at Boeing 90 million dollars.