After two scrubbed launch attempts capping off years of delays, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner lifted off today, and became the tenth type of spacecraft ever to take human beings into orbit. Is that right? Let’s count them off: the Soviets (later Russians) had the single-person Vostok, then the multi-crew Voskhod, then the Soyuz, which is still in use to this day. So that’s three. Then, in America, we had Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, which remains the only spacecraft to take people to the moon, then the re-usable Space Shuttles, and then, after a long gap, the SpaceX Dragon. So that’s five more, bringing us to eight. Then we have China’s spacecraft, a sort of larger, more evolved Soyuz-type spaceship called Shenzou. That’s nine, and that makes the Starliner number ten.
The Atlas V launch vehicle sent the Starliner into the sky about 12:15 ET today, with mission pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams and commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore inside, a two-astronaut crew seemingly the standard for NASA first flights of a new spacecraft since the first space shuttle Colombia launched with John Young (also the first person to smuggle a corned beef sandwich into orbit) and Robert Crippen, and then much later the first SpaceX Dragon 2 made its first flight with Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken.
The recent past hasn’t been easy on Starliner and its plan to get into orbit and dock with the International Space Station. In May, a valve on the Atlas V launch vehicle’s Centaur upper stage scrubbed the launch, and later in the month it was scrubbed again due to a helium leak on the service module. Then there was an issue with the flight computers that delayed the launch yet again, but finally, on the third official try, Starliner made it off the pad and into space.
Here’s the NASA video of the launch:
Tomorrow around 12:15 ET Starliner is expected to make an automated docking with the forward-facing docking port on the Harmony module of the ISS.
The Starliner spacecraft consists of a crew capsule that is a bit bigger than the old Apollo capsule and the SpaceX dragon capsule, but smaller than the upcoming Orion spacecraft, which is designed for missions beyond Earth orbit, in contrast to Starliner, which is primarily a ferry from Earth to orbit and, more specifically, docking at the ISS. Starliner capsules are designed for up to 10 re-uses, though the service module is expendable.
The Starliner, which is capable of seating up to seven astronauts or mixing crew and cargo – this current mission is taking about 760 pounds of cargo to the ISS, and will return 750 pounds back to Earth – is also interesting in the way it returns to Earth. Unlike previous American capsules (shuttles landed on runways like airplanes), which have always splashed down into the ocean, including the SpaceX Dragon, Starliner will land on solid ground, with retro-rockets and airbags cushioning the impact. This is how Soyuz capsules have always landed, and how the Chinese Shenzou capsules land, but it’s a first for an American capsule.
Here’s video of the Starliner landing in New Mexico on its previous un-crewed test:
It took Boeing a long time to get here, but I’m happy to see yet another option for getting humans into orbit out there. This test mission will remain docked to the ISS for about a week, and the overall mission is expected to last ten days. The earliest return date is said to be June 14, but that could be extended.
Starliner has 390 cubic feet of habitable volume; that’s comparable to the Dragon 2’s 330 cubic feet, and a good bit more than the Apollo capsules, that had only 210 cubic feet. Starliner features wireless computer network connections inside, which may be a first for a space capsule, and yet somehow doesn’t seem to offer a toilet? I guess they’re wearing diapers on the way up? There must be some sort of system for urine at least, right? I’ll look into that for a follow-up article. It’s possible they’re just relying on the fecal bag system that was used on Apollo, and, from personal (if ersatz) experience, I can tell you is deeply unpleasant.
We’ll keep an eye on how the mission goes; here’s hoping it all goes great!
It seems a bit harsh to only count Apollo as one type of human-carrying spacecraft. Let’s see some LEM love!
It seems a bit harsh to only count Apollo as one type of human-carrying spacecraft. Let’s see some LEM love!
What about Blue Origin’s New Sheppard capsule? It has made it past the Karman Line with a crew of 4.
I’m guessing this list is only orbital? Otherwise the X-15 made it over the Karman line a couple of times.
What about Blue Origin’s New Sheppard capsule? It has made it past the Karman Line with a crew of 4.
I’m guessing this list is only orbital? Otherwise the X-15 made it over the Karman line a couple of times.
I helped design several packages that are on the craft, comprising portions of the life support and thermal control systems. I’m incredibly happy to have been able to see work i put in years ago (we were a Boeing Subcontractor on those systems) finally make it into space on a real mission. those packages of course already went into LEO on the un-crewed test mission ( along with a neat patch and certificate that we all got and i have in a shadowbox on the wall), but to have real live humans aboard and have those systems be working well is certainly a feather in the cap
say what you will about Boeing and it’s struggles with safety and quality, but this flight marks the culmination of a lot of very hard and thankless work by an array of humans doing all kinds of jobs with a singular goal of furthering human expoloration and understanding of our universe, and I think that’s truly inspiring.
It must be a great feeling seeing something you worked on leave the earth successfully!
it is, though one of the systems in particular will ideally never ever be used, as it’s only designed to kick in if air quality in the cabin is compromised through fire/smoke or decompression. I’ll be happy if that never has to be tested.
the thermal control systems are more active on all flight stages, so those I’m happy to see are working very well, and the crew is able to do their jobs without issue. dissipating heat is an interesting thing to do in the vacuum of space. radiation is the primary method, as convection and conduction through a vacuum isn’t really a thing. sublimation is another method that’s common, though subject to all kinds of difficulties in space.
I helped design several packages that are on the craft, comprising portions of the life support and thermal control systems. I’m incredibly happy to have been able to see work i put in years ago (we were a Boeing Subcontractor on those systems) finally make it into space on a real mission. those packages of course already went into LEO on the un-crewed test mission ( along with a neat patch and certificate that we all got and i have in a shadowbox on the wall), but to have real live humans aboard and have those systems be working well is certainly a feather in the cap
say what you will about Boeing and it’s struggles with safety and quality, but this flight marks the culmination of a lot of very hard and thankless work by an array of humans doing all kinds of jobs with a singular goal of furthering human expoloration and understanding of our universe, and I think that’s truly inspiring.
It must be a great feeling seeing something you worked on leave the earth successfully!
it is, though one of the systems in particular will ideally never ever be used, as it’s only designed to kick in if air quality in the cabin is compromised through fire/smoke or decompression. I’ll be happy if that never has to be tested.
the thermal control systems are more active on all flight stages, so those I’m happy to see are working very well, and the crew is able to do their jobs without issue. dissipating heat is an interesting thing to do in the vacuum of space. radiation is the primary method, as convection and conduction through a vacuum isn’t really a thing. sublimation is another method that’s common, though subject to all kinds of difficulties in space.
In an interesting quirk of timing, the first (fully) successful orbital flight of Starship happened while Starliner was flying its first passenger flight. A noteworthy coincidence given how rarely each class of ship has flown.
A historic week for space nerds!
In an interesting quirk of timing, the first (fully) successful orbital flight of Starship happened while Starliner was flying its first passenger flight. A noteworthy coincidence given how rarely each class of ship has flown.
A historic week for space nerds!
As amazing as it is, it’s still a Boeing product. And Boeing? Let’s just say that safety is job none, doubly so when they think they can charge for it.
Did they make sure there weren’t any whistleblowers onboard or involved with it? That would be a safety concern.
Has anyone verified that the door bolts are actually installed?
Did NASA pay the extra $2.5M for the option to make the system confirm before venting atmosphere?
RootWyrm!!! Where have you been?