The Boeing Starliner capsule flew to the International Space Station (ISS) for a test flight on the night of May 19-20. This is the second attempt at an empty qualification flight, a flight without a passenger to ensure that the device is working properly, for the American aeronautical and aerospace manufacturer.
Smooth takeoff for Starliner
Starliner successfully took off from Florida in the evening. She is heading straight for the ISS to which she should dock on May 20 before returning to Earth around May 27. On board, a mannequin named Rosie and 230 kg of cargo.
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Its departure was made without incident, even if two of the 12 thrusters used to place the capsule on the right trajectory did not work. That shouldn’t be a problem for the mission, NASA said at a news conference. ” We have a safe vehicle and we are on our way to the International Space Station “, reported Mark Nappi, head of the manned space program at Boeing, to the echoes.
The astronauts on board the ISS follow very closely the arrival of this capsule near the station.
Boeing hopes to catch up
This mission could mark the end of a series of failures for Boeing. In December 2019, Starliner’s first flight ended in failure after an anomaly in the capsule’s software led it to believe, wrongly, that it had reached the right orbit to reach the ISS. NASA was forced to recall the capsule to Earth. In August 2021, a new test had been canceled just before takeoff due to a valve problem detected during the last checks.
If all goes well, the attempt launched overnight from Thursday to Friday will allow the American transport giant to become, after SpaceX, the second company responsible for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS.
In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX a contract to design and commercially operate a manned capsule to ferry passengers to the ISS. Since then, the two companies have been in a frantic race to curry favor with NASA. With its reusable capsule model, Crew Dragon, in operation since 2019, the production of which was recently halted, SpaceX had a head start on the Illinois-based company. Boeing is counting on the success of Starliner to catch up.