Tag: Commercial Crew
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Countdown begins for third try launching Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule
Fresh off repairs at the launch pad in Florida, United Launch Alliance engineers restarted the countdown overnight for the third attempt to send an Atlas V rocket and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a test flight to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were expected to awake early Wednesday, put on…
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Boeing’s Starliner CFT launches on third attempt
After years of anticipation, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule has flown its first crew into space on the 100th flight of an Atlas V launch vehicle. Capping off Starliner’s test campaign, the Crew Flight Test (CFT) has sent Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on a trajectory to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) where they…
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Boeing’s Starliner test flight scrubbed again after hold in final countdown
A computer controlling the Atlas V rocket’s countdown triggered an automatic hold less than four minutes prior to liftoff of Boeing’s commercial Starliner spacecraft Saturday, keeping the crew test flight on the ground at least a few more days. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were already aboard the spacecraft when the countdown stopped…
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Boeing’s Starliner capsule poised for second try at first astronaut flight
NASA and Boeing officials are ready for a second attempt to launch the first crew test flight on the Starliner spacecraft Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Liftoff of Boeing’s Starliner, capsuled atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is set for 12:25 pm EDT (16:25 UTC). NASA commander Butch Wilmore and…
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NASA finds more issues with Boeing’s Starliner, but crew launch set for June 1
Senior managers from NASA and Boeing told reporters on Friday that they plan to launch the first crew test flight of the Starliner spacecraft as soon as June 1, following several weeks of detailed analysis of a helium leak and a “design vulnerability” with the ship’s propulsion system. Extensive data reviews over the last two-and-a-half…
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The first crew launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule remains on hold
The first crewed test flight of Boeing’s long-delayed Starliner spacecraft won’t take off as planned Saturday and could face a longer postponement as engineers evaluate a stubborn leak of helium from the capsule’s propulsion system. NASA announced the latest delay of the Starliner test flight late Tuesday. Officials will take more time to consider their…
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Boeing is troubleshooting a small helium leak on the Starliner spacecraft
Boeing is taking a few extra days to resolve a small helium leak on the Starliner spacecraft slated to ferry two NASA astronauts on a test flight to the International Space Station, officials said Tuesday. This means the first crew launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, running years behind schedule and more than $1.4 billion over…
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Faulty valve scuttles Starliner’s first crew launch
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams climbed into their seats inside Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft Monday night in Florida, but trouble with the capsule’s Atlas V rocket kept the commercial ship’s long-delayed crew test flight on the ground. Around two hours before launch time, shortly after 8:30 pm EDT (00:30 UTC), United Launch Alliance’s launch team stopped…
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SpaceX got the fanfare, but Boeing’s first crew flight is still historic
If you want to know what it’s like to take a new spacecraft on its first test run in orbit, there are only three people in the Western world you can call. That fact should drive home the rarity of debuting a new human-rated spaceship. When Boeing’s Starliner capsule lifts off Monday night, this group…
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Starliner’s first commander: Don’t expect perfection on crew test flight
HOUSTON—While it doesn’t have the same relevance to public consciousness as safety problems with commercial airliners, a successful test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in May would be welcome news for the beleaguered aerospace company. This will be the first time the Starliner capsule flies into low-Earth orbit with humans aboard. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore…