How to scrutinize Boeing delivery its 2nd Starliner test flight for NASA

Editor’s phrase: On July 29, NASA and Boeing launched that they would stand down from Friday’s delivery attempt, suspending it to Tuesday (Aug. 3). Be taught extra about the announcement right here. The decision comes as NASA and Roscosmos overview a yelp on the Worldwide Field Place provocative the newly arrived Nauka module impulsively firing its thrusters, speedy interfering with the discipline’s discipline. Field.com’s fleshy story about that yelp is right here.

Final up to this point Aug. 1. 

Boeing is decided to delivery its Starliner spacecraft on a extraordinarily most well-known uncrewed flight to the Worldwide Field Place next week. That is the manner that you would possibly presumably scrutinize the weeklong Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2) mission dwell.

The main phrase is the delivery itself, which is able to dawdle on NASA Tv, the NASA app, the agency’s web sites and right here at Field.com. The liftoff atop a United Open Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for 1: 20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT) on Tuesday (Aug. 3) from Cape Canaveral Field Power Place in Florida. That you just would possibly presumably presumably scrutinize the delivery and mission actions right here and on Field.com’s homepage, apart from on NASA TV. 

If all goes to belief, Starliner will salvage about 31 minutes to reach its preliminary orbit after that will per chance also goal a docking the subsequent day with the Worldwide Field Place. Starliner tried this meetup once before, on the OFT-1 mission in December 2019, nonetheless suffered a sequence of technical disorders that left the capsule stranded in the injurious orbit for a rendezvous.

Are dwelling updates: Be conscious Boeing’s Starliner OFT-2 mission right here

Related:  Every little thing it is advisable to know about Boeing’s Starliner OFT-2 mission

The OFT-2 docking is scheduled for 1: 37 p.m. EDT (1737 GMT) on Wednesday (Aug. 4) and will furthermore livestream on NASA’s channels and the Field.com web sites. Starliner will bring 400 kilos (181 kilograms) of NASA cargo and crew provides to the orbiting advanced and return to Earth with larger than 550 lbs. (250 kg) of cargo, the agency acknowledged in an announcement. 

The date of Starliner’s departure from the dwelling discipline has no longer but been scheduled, nonetheless the OFT-2 mission is predicted to closing about a week. Glimpse below for an extensive timeline of media occasions in the lead-up to the mission and its first few days.

“OFT-2 will present the tip-to-dwell capabilities of the Starliner spacecraft and Atlas V rocket from delivery to docking to a return to Earth in the barren region of the western United States,” NASA acknowledged in the same statement. “The uncrewed mission will present indispensable info in direction of NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation machine for regular flights with astronauts to and from the dwelling discipline.”

Boeing is idea of as one of two business crew suppliers for the Worldwide Field Place, on the side of SpaceX, which has been the utilization of its Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for operational actions since 2020. SpaceX and Boeing bought NASA contracts in 2014 valued at a combined $6.8 billion to motivate the strategy of crewed spaceships supposed to change the dwelling shuttle, which retired in 2011. Boeing is predicted to commence sending astronauts to dwelling in 2022, supplied all goes properly with OFT-2.

After the shuttle retired, NASA relied on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the only real astronaut taxi for 9 years, between 2011 and 2020. The agency continues to find seats on Soyuz to contain ISS requirements in Starliner’s absence. The agency pledged it goes to proceed to interchange seats with the Russians — placing Individuals on the Soyuz and Russians on American autos – nonetheless this blueprint also can presumably be delayed except no longer lower than 2022.

Within the period in-between, right here is the fleshy protection of dwell NASA prelaunch and delivery actions for OFT-2. All instances are approximate and will swap due to technical or climate concerns.

Tuesday, Aug. 3

12: 30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) – NASA TV delivery protection begins.

1: 20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT) (roughly) – Starliner OFT-2 lifts off from Cape Canaveral Field Power Place in Florida.

1: 51 p.m. EDT (1751 GMT) (roughly) – Starliner OFT-2 reaches its preliminary orbit.

3: 30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT) (roughly) – Postlaunch info conference on NASA TV with representatives from NASA, Boeing and ULA, along with:

• Steve Stich, supervisor of NASA’s Business Crew Program
• John Vollmer, vp and program supervisor of Boeing’s Business Crew Program
• John Elbon, ULA chief working officer

Wednesday, Aug. 4

10: 30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) – NASA TV rendezvous and docking protection begins.

1: 37 p.m. EDT (1737 GMT) (roughly) – Livestreamed docking of Starliner on the Worldwide Field Place.

Thursday, Aug. 5

8: 30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT) – NASA TV hatch opening and welcoming remarks protection begins.

8: 40 a.m. EDT (1240 GMT) (roughly) – Astronauts will open the hatch.

9: 40 a.m. (roughly) – Astronauts will narrate welcoming remarks.

Be conscious Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Be conscious us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 

Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Field.com who is idea of as one of the few Canadian journalists to list on a on daily basis basis on dwelling exploration. She is the creator or co-creator of quite loads of books on dwelling exploration. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota in Field Stories, and an M.Sc. from the same division. She furthermore holds a bachelor of journalism level from Carleton University in Canada, where she started her dwelling-writing occupation in 2004. Moreover writing, Elizabeth teaches communications on the college and neighborhood college level, and for presidency practicing colleges. To know about her newest projects, practice Elizabeth on Twitter at @howellspace.