{"id":11487,"date":"2022-05-25T23:02:02","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T15:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-lands-in-new-mexico-after-successful-test-flight\/"},"modified":"2022-05-25T23:02:02","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T15:02:02","slug":"boeings-starliner-spacecraft-lands-in-new-mexico-after-successful-test-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-lands-in-new-mexico-after-successful-test-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft lands in New Mexico after successful test flight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft descends toward landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Credit: NASA\/Bill Ingalls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft parachuted to a \u201cpicture perfect\u201d landing in southern New Mexico Wednesday, capping a six-day test flight to the International Space Station that NASA\u2019s commercial crew program manager said paves the way for the next Starliner mission to carry astronauts.<\/p>\n

The crew capsule touched down at White Sands Space Harbor, co-located with the U.S. Army\u2019s White Sands Missile Range, at 6:49 p.m. EDT (4:49 p.m. MDT; 2249 GMT).<\/p>\n

Three red, white, and blue parachutes slowed the capsule to gentle landing velocity of 17.7 mph (28.5 kilometers per hour). Airbags at the bottom of the spacecraft cushioned the jolt of touchdown, ending a long-delayed demonstration mission to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

The Starliner\u2019s landing occurred about four hours after the Starliner capsule undocked from the station.<\/p>\n

The Starliner program\u2019s first test flight in December 2019 failed to reach the station. A software programming error caused the spacecraft to burn through much of its propellant after launch, and managers cut short the test flight, which was also plagued with communications issues. The capsule safely returned to the same landing site in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

This time, the mood was jubilant among NASA and Boeing officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe test flight was extremely successful,\u201d said Steve Stich, NASA\u2019s commercial crew program manager. \u201cWe met all the mission objectives. Of course, today was a big one with the undocking, the separation sequence, and then the de-orbit burn, entry and landing.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s commercial crew program managers the Starliner contract with Boeing. Since 2010, the U.S. space agency has signed a series of cost-sharing agreements and service contracts with Boeing\u2019s Starliner program valued at more than $5.1 billion. Once certified for human spaceflight missions, the Starliner will ferry astronauts to and from the space station.<\/p>\n

Next for the Starliner program is a test flight with astronauts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I look at what happened in the flight and the kinds of things we\u2019ll need to work through over the next few months, I don\u2019t see any reason why we can\u2019t proceed toward Crew Flight Test next,\u201d Stich said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a few things to work on between now and then, but I don\u2019t really see any showstoppers this time relative to last time, when we had challenges to the software and the comm (communications) system.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problems found on the 2019 test flight caused a two-year delay in the program. Last year, Boeing moved a Starliner spacecraft to the launch pad for a redo, but engineers discovered stuck valves in the propulsion module during a pre-launch checkout. Teams removed the capsule from its launch vehicle for troubleshooting, and ultimately switched the spacecraft to a new service module before preparing for another try this month.<\/p>\n

The mission \u2014 designated Orbital Flight Test-2, or OFT-2 \u2014 blasted off May 19 from Cape Canaveral top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The spacecraft docked at the station about 26 hours later, and astronauts on the research outpost opened hatches to enter the Starliner capsule Saturday for inspections and testing.<\/p>\n

The spacecraft departed the research complex at 2:36 p.m. EDT (1836 GMT) Wednesday, then backed away a safe distance before firing four of its rear-facing thrusters for a braking burn at 6:05 p.m. EDT (2205 GMT) to drop out of orbit.<\/p>\n

The 58-second deorbit burn set the Starliner spacecraft on course for landing at White Sands. The capsule jettisoned its disposable power and propulsion module to burn up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. That left the reusable crew module to re-enter the atmosphere for a scorching descent, withstanding temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 degrees Celsius).<\/p>\n

Approaching White Sands from the southwest, the Starliner spacecraft released two drogue parachutes to stabilize itself before the deployment of three large main chutes. During the last phase of the descent, the capsule let go of its base heat shield, allowing six airbags to inflate for a softer landing.<\/p>\n