Boeing’s Starliner

News Excerpt: 

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, carrying two NASA astronauts, will be launched by an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station (ISS).

Boeing’s Starliner

  • Starliner is a partially reusable crew capsule, officially known as CST-100 (crew space transportation). 
  • The capsule, which is 5 m tall and 4.6 m wide, consists of two modules. 
  • One is the crew module, which can accommodate seven astronauts although, for trips to the ISS, it will be modified for four astronauts and cargo. 
  • The crew module can be reused up to 10 times, with a six-month turnaround.
  • The other is the service module, the powerhouse of the spacecraft which supplies electricity, propulsion, thermal control, air, and water in space. This module is expandable.

More about News:

  • This will be Starliner’s first crewed test flight. If the mission is successful, Boeing will become the second private firm to be able to provide NASA crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
    • The stakes are high, especially for Boeing. The image of its airline business has been tarnished by a recent series of safety and regulation issues. 
    • The company’s space sector is also under pressure as the launch of Starliner’s crewed test flight has been delayed for several years due to technical setbacks.

What is the mission?

  • The main objective of the mission is to see how Starliner performs in space with a crew onboard. It is supposed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) a day after the launch for around 10 days before it returns to the Earth.
  • But before Starliner automatically docks with the space station, the crew members, who are NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, will test flying it manually. 
  • The crew will also “test seats, assess onboard life-support and navigation systems, as well as evaluating the system that moves cargo into the ISS.
  • The space suits worn by Wilmore and Williams will also be tested these blue suits are around 40% lighter than their predecessors and have touchscreen-sensitive gloves.

Why is the mission significant?

  • The mission’s success is crucial for both NASA and Boeing. 
    • NASA has only one private company, SpaceX, which can take its astronauts and cargo to the ISS. 
    • Starliner getting approval for conducting routine flights to and from the ISS would give NASA a backup and option to not depend on one company or vehicle for space launches.
  • The company has been working on the spacecraft for so long, they have had a few problems with the test flights and there’s a lot riding on this.
  • If Starliner completes its objectives, 
    • It will also help Boeing challenge SpaceX’s dominance in the commercial space industry.

International Space Station

  • It is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. 
  • It orbits Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles. It travels at 17,500 mph. This means it orbits Earth every 90 minutes.
  • The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station. The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts. 
  • NASA is using the space station to learn more about living and working in space. These lessons will make it possible to send humans farther into space than ever before.

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