Boeing Starliner that will take people to Mars to FINALLY launch astronauts into space after years of delays
BOEING Starliner will finally launch astronauts to the Space Station after years of delays.
The space capsule, which is built to take people to Mars, will fly for the first time on Monday, May 6.
The CST-100 Starliner, manufactured by Boeing, was originally set to launch in 2015 but it was then delayed to 2019 when the capsule performed its first unmanned test flight.
But the mission was aborted after a malfunctioning launch timer caused one of its engines to misfire.
Subsequent problems with Starliner’s propulsion system, supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne, led Boeing to scrub a second attempt to launch the capsule in August 2021.
The aircraft finally reached the International Space Station (ISS) without astronauts onboard in May 2022.
After the successful uncrewed mission, the Starliner was ready to take its first passengers to outer space but was once again held up in 2023 due to problems with parachute harness.
Boeing is now finally prepared to take two astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, to the ISS for a ten-day mission.
Starliner will be hoisted into space on an Atlas V rocket, operated by American space launch company United Launch Alliance (ULA), from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Nasa pilots will then carry out tests of the Starliner’s subsystems before it’s approved for rotational missions as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
The aerospace giant has long been involved in Nasa’s human spacecraft program, receiving more than $4billion to develop and fly the Starliner in 2014.
Boeing is competing with the likes of SpaceX to provide gear for future Nasa missions and has spent nearly $600million fixing engineering setbacks from the past mishaps.
Like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, the Starliner capsule is reusable but is said to have the capability to fly up to 10 missions, compared to Crew Dragon’s five.
But while SpaceX has opted for ocean landings, Boeing’s spacecraft will touch down on land thanks to airbags on the bottom absorbing the impact.
Starliner will be the first US orbital capsule to land on soil as Boeing says it is cheaper and quicker to refurbish an aircraft that hasn’t been immersed in salt water.
Starliner also reduces training time for the crew as it is operated by an autonomous docking system which guides it to the ISS.
The New Space Race
WHEN private companies like SpaceX began lowering the cost of entry to orbit, it was like a gun shot for the new age space race.
Nations such as the US, Russia, China, Japan and India all set to expand their space exploration.
The US officially made its claim on the lunar south pole with the success of its nail-biting Odysseus Moon landing earlier this year.
While the White House is one step closer to securing a permanent base on the Moon, China may be making its way to the lunar surface.
The ongoing chest pounding between the US and China has further sparked a Renaissance for the space race of the 60s.
Last year, India made history by becoming the first country to land near the southern site.
Just days before, Russia also made an attempt at a south pole touchdown, which ended in a crash landing.
Two weeks later, Japan launched its “moon sniper” into space, joining key space powers in their ambitious plans for lunar landings.
Nasa’s Artemis III mission is intended to explore a region near the lunar south pole.
The Artemis III mission forms parts of a decade-long programme that is hoped to culminate with a permanent lunar base by the end of the decade.
The south pole is, scientists believe, the most promising location for water-based ice, which will be key to future human habitation on the Moon.
The pilots will only have to use manual controls as a backup in emergency scenarios.
Built to accommodate seven, the white capsule will typically carry four crew members and 100kg of cargo.
The astronauts will be protected by the Boeing Lightweight Ablator as a heat shield upon their return to Earth.
The spacecraft is propelled by the disposable service module which separates upon re-entry and burns up in the atmosphere.
Boeing has high stakes in the success of the mission, especially amid immense pressure for a number of “defective” aircraft after hundreds of deaths, crashes and calamities have been linked back to the company.
One brave whistleblower has described how he witnessed workers jumping on plane parts to force them to fit on “defected” aircraft.
Engineer Sam Salehpour says he was told to “shut up” and threatened by Boeing bosses after constantly raising serious safety concerns over how the planes were being assembled.
Former Boeing employee turned whistleblower John Barnett, 62, gave evidence against the company just days before he died from a “self-inflicted” wound.