After numerous delays and technical problems, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, tasked with testing the spacecraft for the first time, are ready for a week-long mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Will today finally be the day? After numerous delays and postponements due to technical problems, NASA has scheduled the first test of the spacecraft with astronauts for this Saturday. Starliner which the space company Boeing is developing under his supervision. It is a vehicle designed to function as a kind of space taxi that takes astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), as the ship already does regularly. Crew Dragon developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
Among those technical problems is a small helium leak in the ship’s propulsion system, which has not been resolved. Those responsible for the mission consider that this small leak does not constitute a security threat, so the mission continues.
10 years ago, NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX to manufacture spacecraft to take their crew to the ISS, while the US agency focused on manufacturing its vehicle to travel to the Moon. Although SpaceX also suffered delays, its ship has been ready since 2020, while Boeing has accumulated a series of problems that have meant that the ship has not yet been tested by astronauts.
This Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled from Florida aboard an Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) company, which will be launched from platform 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Those selected to test the ship on its first manned flight are veteran NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore, mission commander, and Sunita Williams pilot. This astronaut has had the privilege of naming the Starliner ship, which she has named Calypso in homage to Jacques Cousteau.
Around 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, the two astronauts entered the ship to get into their seats and begin all the checks prior to takeoff. Minutes later, the director of ULA, Tony Bruro, explained that a problem with some valves on the rocket had been resolved, but that they are now working correctly. At 5 p.m., the weather was favorable for the launch and shortly after, once it was confirmed that everything was going well, the ship’s hatch was closed.
A week on the ISS
If the launch goes well, the Starliner spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS Harmony module on Sunday at 6:50 p.m. (Peninsular time). The opening of the hatch that will allow Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to join the companions now on the ISS is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. on Sunday. NASA has taken advantage of this test trip to bring about 300 kilos of material and food to the ISS crew.
On May 6 (May 7 in Spain), when there were only a couple of hours left for takeoff and the two astronauts were already in the capsule, the takeoff was aborted when a failure was detected in a valve on the Atlas V rocket, in specifically, which regulates the pressure in the oxygen tank Centaur upper stage liquid.
Because it was decided to replace the affected valve instead of fixing it, after a few days the launch date was set for May 17, but was later postponed again. The aforementioned helium leak in the ship’s propulsion system that has not been resolved.
Third Starliner flight
This Saturday’s flight will be the ship’s third into space. The first test, without a crew, was carried out in October 2019, but the Starliner was not able to reach the ISS and had to return to Earth.
Yes, it achieved it in the second test, which took place in May 2022, so preparation for the first manned test began. However, this could not be carried out in July 2023 due to several problems identified mainly in the parachute system and wiring, as it was discovered that a tape used in different parts of the ship was flammable.
If this first manned flight is successful, NASA will begin the final process to certify the Starliner spacecraft and make it part of the commercial manned program. To develop this ship, the US space agency has given Boeing 4.2 billion dollars while SpaceX received 2.6 billion to manufacture the Crew Dragon.
