NASA and Boeing have lastly unwrap the next potential escort for an uncrewed exam launch of the company ’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station : the first one-half of 2022 .
Starliner ’s next Orbital Flight Test-2 mission had been up the strain sinceAugust , when a proficient glitch involving13 oxidant valvesin the spacecraft ’s actuation system failed to open up during countdown , force the space delegacy and company officials to cancel their plans . The valves link to the Starliner ’s thrusters , which control abort and in - orbit maneuvering single-valued function .
At that fourth dimension , NASA enounce the test would hap after the launch of theLucy asteroid blank space probe , which is set to go into blank space on Saturday , Oct. 16 . But Boeing was n’t so certain it could be stockpile out this year at all .
Photo: Bill Ingalls / NASA (Getty Images)
In the end , it seems Boeing was right . NASA and Boeing will be analyze likely flight opportunities for next year alongside United Launch Alliance , the manufacturer behind the Atlas V rocket that will launch the Starliner , and theEastern Range , the Space Force entity in charge of East Coast launches .
“ likely launch window for OFT-2 carry on to be assessed by NASA , Boeing , United Launch Alliance , and the Eastern Range , ” NASA official wrote in ablog update . “ The squad presently is working toward opportunities in the first one-half of 2022 pending hardware eagerness , the rocket salad manifest , and outer space station accessibility . ”
NASA said that office and Boeing official were continue to make progress on investigate the oxidizer valve egress . Boeing has see that the most probable cause come along to be refer to oxidizer and moisture fundamental interaction .
“ Boeing has demonstrated success in valve functionality using localized heating plant and electric accuse proficiency , ” NASA explained . “ trouble-shoot on the pad , at the launch complex , and inside the Starliner output factory at Kennedy Space Center has resulted in move of all but one of the original stuck valve . That valve has not been moved intentionally to preserve forensics for direct ascendent cause analysis . ”
Over the next few hebdomad , Boeing will carry out spacecraft and component examination to further analyze potential ingredient that contributed to the valve failure and define remediation . In increase , it will withdraw three valves from the space vehicle for further review .
The company has identify various paths forwards , each depending on the result of its trial , to prevent the issue from bechance again . These solvent include small refurbishment of the current serve module to using another module already in product , according to NASA ’s update .
The Starliner , part of a NASA course of study that seek to transport astronaut to the ISS , has only nail one other uncrewed test flight in what seems like age ago . In 2019 , it manage to reach space but did n’t get to the ISS due to a package failure .
presently , NASA only has two usable options to mail astronauts to the ISS , Russian spacecraft and SpaceX ’s Crew Dragon .
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