NASA and Boeing are set to again try to launch a test flight which is the first crewed mission for Starliner and a key milestone for the company.
Starliner’s successful launch and entry into a stable orbit on a trajectory to the International Space Station represent just the first leg of the mission, which is expected to last about eight days. The autonomous spacecraft still has to catch up to the International Space Station, traveling in orbit at about 17,500 mph. Along the way, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams will take over manual control of the spacecraft to see how it flies.
The crews will monitor the health of the spacecraft while it’s attached to the station for several days before Wilmore and Williams get back in and fly home. The return is a key part of the test flight. Engineers are eager to see how the heat shield performs amid the extreme temperatures generated as the Starliner plunges through the thickening atmosphere. Another key test will involve the parachutes that slow the spacecraft for a landing.
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