Boeing Orbital Flight Test 2

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Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2
Spacecraft 2 in preparation for OFT-2.jpg
Spacecraft 2 in preparation for OFT-2
NamesBoe OFT-2
Mission typeTest flight
OperatorBoeing
Mission duration5 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftStarliner Spacecraft 2
ManufacturerBoeing
Launch mass13,000 kg (29,000 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateLate May 2022 (planned)
RocketAtlas V N22 (AV-082)
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
End of mission
Landing date2022 (planned)
Landing siteWhite Sands Missile Range
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward
Docking date2022 (planned)
Undocking date2022 (planned)
Time docked5 days (planned)
Commercial Crew Program
← SpaceX Crew-4
Boeing Starliner CFT →
 
Boeing Starliner flights
← Boeing Starliner OFT
Boeing Starliner CFT →
External image
image icon Boeing OFT 2 Mission Patch

The Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (also known as Boe OFT-2) is a planned repeat of Boeing's failed first Orbital Flight Test (OFT-1) of its Starliner spacecraft. The uncrewed mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and a new launch date is yet to be determined after the detection of valve issues on the spacecraft during the August 2021 launch window.[1] The Starliner OFT-2 mission is planned to last five days, during which the Starliner spacecraft will demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities with the International Space Station (ISS), followed by undocking and landing in the western United States.[2]

This is the first flight of Starliner after the December 2019 OFT-1 flight failed to rendezvous with the station due to software problems. On 6 April 2020, Boeing announced that they would repeat the Orbital Flight Test to prove Starliner meets all of the contractually required test objectives. Boeing proposed another uncrewed flight test of the spacecraft's systems and NASA accepted the proposal from Boeing as part of the original fixed-price contract, at an estimated out-of-pocket cost to Boeing of US$410 million.[3][4] The mission was planned to use the hardware, Starliner spacecraft, and Atlas V originally planned for use on the Boe-CFT crewed flight test.[5] OFT-2 was scheduled to launch on 30 July 2021, but an unrelated problem at the ISS delayed the schedule to 3 August. Starliner valve problems occurred prior to the 3 August attempt and were later determined to be so serious that the launch was delayed indefinitely. As of December 2021, NASA and Boeing are evaluating launch opportunities in Late May 2022.[6]

Payload[]

The capsule will carry approximately 245 kg (540 lb) of supplies and test equipment to simulate future missions with astronauts and their cargo on board.[7] Some of the cargo will include flags from historically black colleges and universities and pins of Rosie the Riveter.[8]

Mission[]

The second Atlas V N22, designated AV-082, was intended to launch the Starliner spacecraft on its second uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station. The capsule is intended to dock with the space station, then return to Earth to land in the Western United States after an orbital shakedown cruise ahead of Boeing Crewed Flight Test.[5]

OFT-2 is the second flight of an Atlas V without a payload fairing and with a dual-engine Centaur upper stage. The dual-engine Centaur uses two RL10s and is required for Starliner flights in order to provide a launch trajectory that allows a safe abort at any point in the mission.[9]

Boeing modified the design of the Starliner docking system after the OFT-1 flight, adding a hinged re-entry cover for additional protection during the capsule's fiery descent through the atmosphere similar to the one used in the SpaceX Dragon 2 design. This will be tested on the OFT-2 mission.[10][11]

Launch delays[]

On 9 December 2020, NASA and Boeing announced that 29 March 2021 was the targeted launch date for the OFT-2 mission.[12][10] On 16 December 2020, Boeing officials released the official mission patch for the Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.[13][14][15] On 18 January 2021, Boeing and NASA announced that they have re-certified Starliner's spacecraft software for the OFT-2 mission.[16][10] In February 2021, the launch date shifted to 25 March 2021, then 2 April 2021, then mid April 2021. During April 2021, the launch was scheduled for August/September 2021, with an exact date to be determined.[17] In May 2021, the launch was scheduled for 30 July 2021.

Prior to the OFT-2 launch attempt, the Crew Dragon Endeavour, which was docked to ISS at "Harmony" forward port for its Crew-2 mission, undocked at 10:45 UTC and relocated to "Harmony" zenith port on 21 July 2021, at 11:35 UTC.[18] The OFT-2 launch was scheduled for 30 July 2021 at 18:53:32 UTC.[19] On 27 July 2021, NASA, Boeing, and ULA completed the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for the mission.

On 29 July 2021, launch preparations were under way at Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41. The Atlas V with the Starliner atop had just been rolled out from the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to the pad. In an entirely separate mission, the Nauka module had docked at the space station earlier that morning, but its thrusters misfired, causing serious anomalies that would make the OFT-2 docking impossible until they were corrected. The Atlas V was immediately rolled back to the VIF, and the launch time was delayed to 3 August 2021 at 17:20:18 UTC.

Valve failures[]

Atlas V was rolled out again 2 August 2021. The 3 August launch attempt was scrubbed due to technical problems with the propulsion system on Starliner causing another 24 hours recycle, with launch planned for 4 August 2021 at 16:57 UTC.[20] Due to unexpected valve position indications in the Starliner propulsion system, the launch was further delayed to later in August while engineering teams investigated the problem. As a result, the Atlas V was rolled back to the VIF again for further testing.[21] On 13 August 2021, Boeing decided to return the spacecraft back to the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility in order to perform a deeper-level troubleshooting of the thirteen propulsion system valves, causing the launch to be delayed indefinitely.[1] The time needed for analysis and correction of the problem will force the launch to be delayed at least until the launch complex is once again available some time in early 2022.[22] The valves had been corroded by intrusion of moisture which interacted with the propellant, but the source of the moisture was not apparent. By late September 2021, Boeing had not determined the root cause of the problem and the flight was delayed indefinitely.[23] As of December 2021, launch opportunities in Late May 2022 are being evaluated.[6] Boeing decided to replace the entire service module, and plans for OFT-2 to occur in May 2022.[24][25]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Starliner Returning to Factory to Resolve Valve Issue". Boeing. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Starliner capsule fueled for unpiloted test flight to International Space Station". Spaceflight Now. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  3. ^ "After years of turmoil, Boeing's starliner capsule is set for a do-over". 28 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Boeing to fly second Starliner uncrewed test flight". SpaceNews. 6 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b Burghardt, Thomas (7 July 2020). "NASA and Boeing Complete Starliner Orbital Flight Test Investigation". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b "NASA, Boeing Update Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 Status". NASA. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ "Atlas V's launch of Starliner OFT-2 test flight delayed". NASASpaceFlight.com. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  8. ^ Pearlman, Robert (17 June 2021). "HBCU flags and 'Rosie' coins among Boeing Starliner OFT-2 cargo". Space.com. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  9. ^ Gebhardt, Chris (21 November 2019). "Starliner arrives at launch pad in major pre-flight milestone". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Clark, Stephen (18 January 2021). "Boeing making progress on Starliner software for test flight in March". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  11. ^ Clark, Stephen (25 August 2020). "Boeing plans second Starliner test flight in December 2020 or January 2021". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  12. ^ "NASA and Boeing Target New Launch Date for Next Starliner Flight Test" (Press release). Boeing. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  13. ^ "A significant symbol for Starliner: Program's newest flight test patch revealed" (Press release). Boeing. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  14. ^ Pearlman, Robert (17 December 2020). "Boeing reveals mission patch for second Starliner orbital flight test". Space.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  15. ^ Hall, Zac (16 December 2020). "Boeing unveils "personal" OFT-2 mission patch ahead of next Starliner spacecraft orbital flight test". Space Explored. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Boeing Completes Software Qualification for Second Starliner Test Flight" (Press release). Boeing. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  17. ^ "NASA and Boeing Targeting August/September for Starliner's Uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 Launch". Boeing. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  18. ^ Potter, Sean (15 July 2021). "NASA TV to Air Crew Dragon Port Relocation on Space Station". NASA. Retrieved 16 July 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  19. ^ "Boeing and NASA Update Launch Target for Next Starliner Test Flight". Boeing. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  20. ^ "NASA-Boeing to Delay Starliner Launch". starlinerupdates.com. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  21. ^ "ULA, Boeing Update Schedule To Move Starliner, Atlas V To Vertical Integration Facility". Boeing. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  22. ^ Sheetz, Michael (13 August 2021). "Boeing delays test flight of Starliner crew spacecraft for at least two months after valve problems". CNBC. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  23. ^ Davenport, Christian (24 September 2021). "Nearly two months after discovering a problem with its Starliner spacecraft, Boeing is still searching for answers". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Boeing Starliner test flight planned for spring 2022". SpaceNews. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  25. ^ Berger, Eric (14 December 2021). "Leaky valve issue forces Boeing to swap out Starliner's service module". Ars Technica. Retrieved 25 December 2021.

External links[]

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