posted 10-19-2018 06:48 PM               

Centaur arrives at Cape Canaveral

The dual-engine Centaur upper stage that will launch Boeing's first Starliner spacecraft on its uncrewed Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station has arrived at Cape Canaveral for final processing by United Launch Alliance technicians.

The stage arrived Oct. 19 aboard the Mariner cargo ship, the ocean-going vessel that ULA uses to transport rocket stages from the manufacturing plant in Decatur, Alabama to the launch sites.

Wrapped in a protective covering for the transit, the Centaur was offloaded at the Port Canaveral wharf and driven on a specialized trailer to ULA's Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center for initial arrival checks.

Later, it will move to the Delta Operations Center to be raised vertically, mounted onto the interstage structure and fitted with the adapter that will support Starliner atop the rocket. That combined stack will then be ready for mating to the Atlas V first stage at the Vertical Integration Facility next year.

Mariner left Decatur on Oct. 10 for the journey of nearly 2,000 miles.

The venerable Centaur will resume flights in a dual-engine configuration — which was once commonplace — for this inaugural launch of Starliner. The last Centaur stage to utilize two engines was an Atlas IIAS rocket launch in 2004.

The Atlas V has needed only single-engine Centaurs to perform all of its launches to date to deliver payloads to their intended destinations, but the Starliner mass along with the need to shape the trajectory to limit astronaut accelerations and optimize ascent abort performance in case of a vehicle failure necessitates the thrust of two engines.

For the OFT launch, the Centaur will be powered by a pair of Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10-4-2 cryogenic engines, burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to generate nearly 45,000 pounds of thrust.

Centaur flew for the 250th time on Oct. 17 in launching the Air Force's AEHF-4 protected communications satellite. Two-thirds of those previous launches were dual-engine configurations.

The high-energy stage has launched spacecraft to every planet in our solar system, plus the moon, Pluto and solar observatories, and critical national security, communications and weather satellites.

posted 02-20-2019 02:03 PM               

Launch Teams Simulate Boeing Uncrewed Flight Test Countdown

In preparation for Boeing's uncrewed test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, NASA, United Launch Alliance (ULA), Boeing and Department of Defense personnel conducted a successful integrated crew exercise on Feb. 12.

Boeing's Orbital Flight Test (OFT) of Starliner will launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The joint team executed a mock countdown that practiced fueling the Atlas V and operating the unique launch day timeline that features a four-hour built-in hold to allow launch teams to work any technical issues that arise in the countdown. The hold is lifted four minutes prior to launch.

The team was presented with simulated issues with hardware and downrange assets to exercise troubleshooting, problem resolution procedures and the coordination that goes into adjusting the countdown as necessary. There were even simulated challenges from the weather, forcing officials to react to changing weather conditions at the pad. The exercise culminated with a successful liftoff and climb into space.

Formal rehearsals like this one allow launch teams in geographic locations across the country to function as one well-coordinated team.

OFT will be the uncrewed test of Starliner as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, during which Starliner will fly to the International Space Station for an automated rendezvous and docking, complete a short stay and then return to Earth; the mission is the precursor to Boeing's flight test with crew.

posted 04-03-2019 10:21 AM               

Orbital Flight Test Progress

Boeing is now targeting August for its uncrewed Orbital Flight Test, although this date is a working date and to be confirmed.

The decision to adjust that launch date was guided by limited launch opportunities in April and May, as well as a critical U.S. Air Force national security launch – AEHF-5 – atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 in June.

"The uncrewed flight tests provide a wealth of data for us to analyze every phase of flight," said Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program deputy manager. "They offer a phenomenal opportunity for us to evaluate the end-to-end performance of the systems, and really set us up for flight tests with crew. Our Boeing and NASA teams are making tremendous progress without compromising safety as we prepare for launch."

While the Starliner spacecraft for the Orbital Flight Test is close to complete, the additional time will allow teams to thoroughly focus on the test and validation activities well ahead of launch.

"We remain diligent, with a safety-first culture," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Boeing's Commercial Crew Program. "While we have already made substantial progress this year, this shift gives us the time to continue building a safe, quality spacecraft capable of carrying crews over and over again after a successful uncrewed test, without adding unnecessary schedule pressure."

Above: A look at the Starliner that will soon fly the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test soon after the dome mate activities at the Boeing Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. (Boeing)

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for the uncrewed flight test is nearly complete. This spacecraft is designed to be reusable up to 10 times, and will be used for the company's first full operational mission after certification. The Starliner team is working to complete all of the critical testing and integration on the spacecraft to ensure the shortest possible time between the completion of the uncrewed flight and the first launch of crew, and then to operational missions to station.

On March 11, Boeing mated the upper and lower domes of the same spacecraft inside its Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two domes underwent outfitting with avionics, cooling systems, wire harnesses, fuel and life support lines, and other critical systems before being mated together. This is one of the last major milestones ahead of final processing and closeouts for flight.

NASA and Boeing teams also completed two parachute tests. In February, a "lawn dart" dropped out of a C-17 aircraft over the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, and the parachutes performed as planned. These reliability tests are part of a special studies program NASA initiated to validate the robust design of Starliner's parachute systems. Then in March at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Boeing completed the fourth of five parachute qualification tests. Successful completion of all five tests will qualify the entire Starliner landing system for flight with crew.

Another key milestone for the capsule included successful range of motion testing on the docking adapter – known as the NASA Docking System, or NDS – that will connect Starliner to the space station's Harmony module later this year.

posted 11-04-2019 07:30 AM               

Atlas V LVOS underway for first Starliner launch

It is known as LVOS, a day that is celebrated in the life of every rocket destined to launch into space.

Above: The Starliner Orbital Flight Test booster arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 41 in Florida. (ULA)

Today (Nov. 4) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, this special occasion is occurring for United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket that will launch Boeing's first CST-100 Starliner capsule on its historic Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station in December.

Rocket engineers are fond of speaking in acronyms, but common folks can appreciate this event as the Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) day, a milestone that officially begins the launch campaign and signals another mission is right around the corner.

The name is a blend of phrases from our heritage combined at United Launch Alliance. The Atlas program called this event Booster on Stand (BOS) while the Delta program used Vehicle on Stand (VOS). Now it is simply LVOS.

To accomplish LVOS for the Atlas V today, the common core booster first stage is being moved from the holding bay at the Atlas Spaceflight Operation Center (ASOC) and hauled horizontally by semi-truck nearly four miles to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) where it will be hoisted upright for placement aboard the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP).

posted 11-08-2019 03:36 PM               

Atlas V stacked to receive Starliner capsule

The stages and boosters have been joined together to form the Atlas V rocket that will launch the inaugural flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.

Stacking operations were completed today (Nov. 8) inside United Launch Alliance's Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The work began Monday, Nov. 4 when the first stage was hoisted aboard the Mobile Launch Platform. The twin solid rocket boosters were attached on Wednesday, Nov. 6 and Thursday, Nov. 7 to opposite sides of the stage.

The OVI structure, which consists of the interstage, Dual Engine Centaur upper stage and Launch Vehicle Adapter, was lifted atop the first stage this morning to finish the initial buildup of the vehicle.

Applying power to the rocket, testing of the flight controls, checks of the engine steering profiles and a Combined Systems Test will occur over the next week to verify Atlas V is ready to flight.

That will clear the way for delivery of the Starliner capsule from Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at the Kennedy Space Center to the nearby VIF at Space Launch Complex-41 for mating to the Atlas V in mid-November.

Launch remains targeted for Dec. 17.

Atlas V will propel Starliner off the pad at the exact moment the space station's orbital plane crosses over Space Launch Complex-41. The main engine and solids generate 1.6 million pounds of thrust to power the 172-foot-tall, 979,223-pound rocket skyward.

Starliner is headed for the International Space Station for its uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

posted 11-21-2019 07:17 AM               

Boeing's Starliner transported to launch site

NASA and Boeing prepared for the next step in NASA's Commercial Crew Program on Thursday (Nov. 21), as the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft began its transport for integration on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket ahead of Boeing's uncrewed Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station.

The fueled Starliner was moved from Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center to ULA's Space Launch Complex 41 Vertical Integration Facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Later the same day, the spacecraft will be stacked on top of an Atlas V rocket for final processing ahead of the launch.

posted 11-21-2019 12:28 PM               

The delicate hoisting of Starliner is complete. Crews gently lifted the spacecraft from its ground transportation to place it atop the Atlas V for the ride to space.

posted 11-21-2019 04:37 PM               

Boeing Starliner placed atop United Launch Alliance rocket for first flight

Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner is now connected to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will launch the spacecraft on its first flight test to the International Space Station. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is targeted for Dec. 17.

Starliner was mated to the rocket's upper stage in ULA's Vertical Integration Facility after being transported this morning (Nov. 21) from Boeing's assembly building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. On Dec. 15, two days before launch, Starliner and its Atlas V will move a final half-mile to its launch pad.

"Our team successfully completed the transport and mating of two incredible vehicles," said Boeing Starliner Vice President John Mulholland. "Safety and mission success come down to ensuring the integrity of every step along the way. I could not be more proud of the Starliner team and the dedication put forward to get here today."

Combined, Starliner and the Atlas V stand 172 feet (52 meters) tall. The rocket generates about 1.6 million pounds of thrust at launch. The Atlas V, built in Alabama, has completed 80 successful launches since 2002.

The first Starliner flight to the International Space Station, which Boeing also built and sustains for NASA, will carry only cargo for its few-day docked stay. The second flight test, using a different spacecraft, will take Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson, along with NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann, to the station for a longer mission.

The reusable Starliner capsule is being developed in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which will return America's ability to launch people to low Earth orbit from American soil for the first time since Ferguson commanded the final space shuttle mission in 2011.

posted 12-03-2019 08:33 AM               

United Launch Alliance Atlas V Starliner OFT Launch Status

The launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing's Orbital Flight Test (OFT) Starliner spacecraft is now targeted for Dec. 19, 2019.

During pre-launch processing of the Atlas V, there was an issue with the rocket's purge air supply duct. Additional time was needed for the ULA and Boeing teams to complete an analysis of the issue, replace the duct and complete processing ahead of launch.

We continue to work closely with Boeing to ensure that the Starliner flies as soon as the spacecraft and launch vehicle are ready.

posted 12-06-2019 11:15 AM               

Atlas V Fueled in Dress Rehearsal for Boeing's Orbital Flight Test

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is poised atop a fueled United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's (CCAFS) Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida for the program's first ever Integrated Day of Launch Test, or IDOLT.

Above: The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, topped by the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, stands on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during a wet dress rehearsal for Boeing's Orbital Flight Test. (ULA)

Today's (Dec. 6) rehearsal is practice for Boeing's upcoming uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) to the International Space Station. The rocket's booster has been filled with liquid oxygen and a form of rocket-grade kerosene called RP-1, and its Centaur upper stage loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for today's full run-through of the launch countdown.

Boeing, ULA and NASA teams are participating from several locations, including the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) at CCAFS; Boeing's Mission Control Center (BMCC) at nearby Kennedy Space Center; and the flight control room supporting Starliner missions inside the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson, slated to fly to the station on Boeing's Crew Flight Test, monitored the rehearsal from consoles in the ASOC and BMCC.

Although OFT is uncrewed, rehearsals like today's are standard for human spaceflight missions and similar rehearsals were a regular part of space shuttle missions. They provide a final opportunity for all teams to work through dynamic launch preparations in real time.

posted 12-06-2019 04:11 PM               

ULA Atlas V Starliner OFT Launch Date Status

The launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test (OFT) Starliner spacecraft is now targeted for Dec. 20.

We successfully conducted a wet dress rehearsal (WDR), a critical pre-launch milestone, on Friday, Dec. 6. We were unable to complete the milestone on Thursday, Dec. 5, as planned due to a weather-related launch delay of an International Space Station re-supply mission, which created a range resource conflict. This caused our targeted launch date to shift to the right by one day.

We continue to work closely with Boeing to ensure that the Starliner flies as soon as the spacecraft and launch vehicle are ready.

posted 12-12-2019 01:47 PM               

Flight Readiness Concludes for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test

NASA and Boeing are proceeding with plans for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test following a full day of briefings and discussion called a Flight Readiness Review that took place at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday (Dec. 12).

Launch of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for 6:36 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 20, from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The uncrewed flight test will be Starliner’s maiden mission to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

posted 12-17-2019 12:04 PM               

United Launch Alliance Set to Launch the Starliner Capsule on the Orbital Flight Test

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is in final preparations to launch Boeing's Starliner capsule on the Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is planned for Dec. 20, at 6:36 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Atlas V rocket will deliver Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to a 98-nautical mile (nmi) sub-orbital trajectory. Following separation from the Atlas V, the Starliner engines will propel the spacecraft to its final orbit and on to the ISS.

Modified specifically for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, the Atlas V Starliner configuration does not include a payload fairing. Instead, the Starliner's own protective surfaces take the place of the fairing to protect the uncrewed spacecraft during ascent. This is the inaugural flight of this configuration.

"We are bridging history as we prepare to launch astronauts again and the Orbital Flight Test is the first step in this process," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "We are excited to fly this mission-unique Atlas V in support of Boeing's Starliner and NASA's Commercial Crew program."

The Starliner is attached to the Atlas V using a launch vehicle adapter (LVA) which includes an aeroskirt to reduce aerodynamic loads on the vehicle. The Atlas V configuration for this mission is powered by dual Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10A-4-2 engines, each producing 22,600 lbs. of thrust. The Centaur also includes an Emergency Detection System (EDS) that monitors the health of the rocket throughout flight.

The Orbital Flight Test will be the 81st launch of the Atlas V and will mark ULA's 136th mission.

posted 12-18-2019 10:17 AM               

On the pad!

Our Atlas V rocket has arrived at its Cape Canaveral launch pad for Friday's (Dec. 20) liftoff to send Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.

The Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 10:43 a.m. EST on Wednesday.

Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away.

posted 12-20-2019 03:12 AM               

The launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station, as part of the Commercial Crew Program, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20.

Tune in starting at 5:30 a.m. EST to see the uncrewed flight test launch at 6:36 a.m. EST for the spacecraft's maiden mission to the orbiting laboratory.

posted 12-20-2019 12:21 PM               

Boeing Starliner launches on orbital test, fails to reach space station

A Boeing commercial spacecraft designed to fly astronauts launched into orbit for the first time Friday (Dec. 20), but a software timing error left the CST-100 Starliner incapable of reaching the International Space Station as had been the plan for the flight test.

Based on preliminary data, flight controllers believe that a clock intended to track mission elapsed time was incorrectly set, which in turn led the Starliner to think it was in the midst of a critical orbital insertion burn when it was not. As a result, the uncrewed spacecraft autonomously fired its thrusters to maintain what it believed was the correct attitude, using up the propellent it would need to rendezvous with the space station.

Despite being left in the wrong orbit and now with an end of mission planned for as soon as Sunday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the Starliner's Orbital Flight Test (OFT) was not a total loss.

posted 12-20-2019 04:58 PM               

Boeing Update on Starliner Orbital Flight Test

While it's not the mission we planned to execute, the Starliner's Orbital Flight Test mission remains under way.

At this afternoon's Integrated Mission Management Team (IMMT) meeting with representatives from Boeing and NASA, we made the decision to perform orbit adjust burns and prepare for a landing at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The prime target is the White Sands Space Harbor runway on Sunday. The integrated team believes this is the most conservative approach for the Starliner to safely return to Earth on land for data retrieval, analysis and refurbishment for future missions.

The team will continue to closely review the data they are receiving from the vehicle, which is currently in a safe orbit and operating nominally. In the time before the burns, flight controllers, as well as spacecraft system experts who have designed, built and tested the spacecraft, carefully and methodically reviewed performance data and made the necessary adjustments to bring Starliner home in a stable configuration.

Again, this is not the mission we expected. However, we are getting important data from the Starliner that gives us confidence in our decision to return home safely. Some initial learnings of note include:

• Solar array performance is better than predicted
  
• The Crew Module is in good shape
  
• Environmental Control and Life Support System and Active Thermal System are performing well
  
• Separations to-date were nominal, including ascent cover jettison and separation from the launch vehicle
  
• Guidance, Navigation and Control systems are working well

We will continue to share updates as the mission progresses.

posted 12-21-2019 12:36 PM               

Starliner Completing Test Objectives While On Orbit, Given Go for Landing Sunday

Starliner's Orbital Flight Test is currently in Mission Day 2, and flight controllers and engineering teams worked through the night and into this morning accomplishing many of the flight test objectives planned for the mission. The spacecraft remains in a circular orbit roughly 250 kilometers above sea level.

Mission control teams in Houston have been pursuing two primary objectives: to maintain spacecraft integrity and orbital trajectory for two landing opportunities on Sunday, Dec. 22., and to complete as many mission tests as possible.

The Mission Management Team has given approval for a Mission Day 3 landing at 5:57 AM MST (6:57 AM CST) at our landing site at White Sands Space Harbor on the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with a backup opportunity at the same site at 1:48 PM MST (2:48 PM CST).

Late yesterday and overnight, flight controllers completed the below activities:

• Conducted two orbital adjustment burns and several smaller checkout burns of the propulsion systems
  
• Tested Guidance, Navigation and Control hardware including successfully using VESTA camera star tracking functionality to augment Space-Integrated GPS/INS (SIGI) navigational control. These are the "eyes" of the vehicle, which include using star trackers (capturing spacecraft orientation by comparing known star maps to stars the spacecraft observes) and far and near field observations.
  
• Observed positive performance of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems and executed cabin fan switching
  
• Communication, commanding and tracking systems testing through both ground links and space-to-space communication, including a positive command uplink from mission control through the International Space Station
  
• Station keeping and attitude control demonstrations

Throughout the day on Dec. 21, Starliner will attempt to complete NASA docking system checkouts and extension of the soft-capture system and docking ring.

Of note, the vehicle remains healthy, the power system is operating exceptionally and solar arrays are operating at above predicted efficiency, and all separation events to-date were nominal, including ascent cover jettison, aeroskirt jettison and separation from the launch vehicle.

Starliner will retain priority on the TDRS satellite network and Mission Control Center communications channels to ensure data uplink and downlink throughout the remainder of the mission.

posted 12-21-2019 08:00 PM               

'Something to Prove'

The Starliner flight control team is preparing to bring the spacecraft back to Earth on Sunday morning at White Sands Space Harbor, on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Key milestones and times include:

(All times MST)

5:13 a.m.: MCC Go/No-Go Poll
5:20 a.m.: Deorbit Burn
5:25 a.m.: CM/SM Separation
5:57 a.m.: Landing

Since Starliner's launch on Friday morning, the Starliner team has put the spacecraft through its paces, demonstrating key systems and capabilities and accomplishing many flight test objectives.

Deorbit/Landing is the final and one of the most important flight test objectives, according to Space and Launch Senior Vice President Jim Chilton, who said to media, "We still have something to prove."

posted 12-22-2019 08:00 AM               

Boeing Starliner lands on Earth after timer error cuts test flight short

Boeing's first Starliner spacecraft is back on Earth after a timing error resulted in its maiden mission being cut short.

Although its uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) ended early and it was unable to reach the International Space Station, Boeing's CST-100 Starliner did achieve some of its original mission's objectives and became the first U.S. crew capsule to touch down on land. Descending under parachutes and deploying airbags, the spacecraft made a soft landing at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico at 5:58 a.m. MST (1258 GMT) on Sunday (Dec. 22).

posted 12-22-2019 02:25 PM               

Back from space, Boeing Starliner lands new astronaut-chosen name

Boeing's first Starliner to return from space is now the first with a name: Calypso.

NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who will command the first re-flight of the capsule that completed an uncrewed orbital flight test on Sunday (Dec. 22), was given the honor of christening the vehicle.

posted 12-28-2019 05:28 PM               

Starliner Data Collected Ahead of Spacecraft Move

Engineers and technicians are conducting closer studies of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft as they recover data from onboard systems and begin preparing the vehicle for its return to Florida, where it will be readied for a future crewed mission to the International Space Station.

The same teammates who packed Starliner for its Orbital Flight Test began moving cargo to access recordings of four onboard camera views, which are anticipated to be released next week. They reported the interior of the crew module looks like it did before lifting off atop an Atlas V rocket last week. Even the tethered gravity indicator – Snoopy – was in the pilot's seat at landing. That means a number of things, including that the Starliner's fully operational life support system functioned as intended and the layout of the interior is well-suited to support crew members in the future. The spacecraft also used a fraction of its onboard fuel during the flight through Earth's atmosphere and landing in White Sands, N.M., confirming aerodynamic models developed for the spacecraft.

Ground teams also began downloading substantial data from myriad sensors aboard Starliner. The information will be used to determine the exact conditions of various stages of flight, including what astronauts will experience when they fly aboard Starliner for the first time.

Stored aboard data recorders inside the spacecraft, the readouts are more precise in some cases than what was transmitted to Mission Control in Houston during the flight test. Taken together, the information provides a more complete picture of what took place during the mission, from guidance and navigation system readings to physical conditions inside the crew module.

Rosie the Rocketeer, who is still in place inside the Starliner spacecraft, has already conveyed the data picked up by her accelerometers and force measurement sensors to begin analysis by engineers over the holidays. Telemetry transmitted directly from the spacecraft during the landing showed a soft impact onto the sands of New Mexico. Rosie's sensors are expected to confirm those first readings.

The spacecraft, which shows little scorching from the heat of atmospheric entry, was moved into a protective facility at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range the day after landing. Preparations are now underway to make the spacecraft safe for transport back to Florida where it will undergo even more detailed inspections prior to refurbishment. The move is expected to start after the first of the year and will take about 10 days.

This same Starliner, now named Calypso, is slated to fly a long-duration mission to the International Space Station, carrying NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Josh Cassada, along with two international partner astronauts. In parallel, work continues on another Starliner spacecraft that will carry Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Mike Fincke to the space station for the program's first crewed flight test. The Boeing team is committed to incorporating lessons learned from the Orbital Flight Test into every aspect of the program, from the build of the vehicle to operational aspects, to ensure safe and successful future flights.

posted 01-03-2020 06:02 PM               

Starliner Begins Transport Back to Kennedy Space Center

Starliner has left New Mexico en route to Florida where the spacecraft will be further evaluated and processed at the Starliner Production Factory ahead of upcoming missions to the International Space Station.

After a successful landing and recovery at the conclusion of the spacecraft's first orbital flight test, Starliner was moved into the Flight Test Integration Facility at Launch Complex 32 on White Sands Missile Range. Teams prepared the vehicle for transport and downloaded stored flight data, which will allow for detailed post-flight analysis while Starliner makes its way cross country.

The American-made orbital crew capsule, which became the first to land on land after returning from orbit last month, will travel through six key U.S. states, all of which played a role in the design, build, and test of this particular reusable spacecraft.

Starliner's journey is expected to take about 10 days.

posted 01-07-2020 03:05 PM               

NASA Update on Boeing's Orbital Flight Test

NASA and Boeing are in the process of establishing a joint, independent investigation team to examine the primary issues associated with the company's uncrewed Orbital Flight Test.

The independent team will inform NASA and Boeing on the root cause of the mission elapsed timer anomaly and any other software issues and provide corrective actions needed before flying crew to the International Space Station for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. The team will review the primary anomalies experienced during the Dec. 2019 flight test, any potential contributing factors and provide recommendations to ensure a robust design for future missions. Once underway, the investigation is targeted to last about two months before the team delivers its final assessment.

In parallel, NASA is evaluating the data received during the mission to determine if another uncrewed demonstration is required. This decision is not expected for several weeks as teams take the necessary time for this review. NASA's approach will be to determine if NASA and Boeing received enough data to validate the system's overall performance, including launch, on-orbit operations, guidance, navigation and control, docking/undocking to the space station, reentry and landing. Although data from the uncrewed test is important for certification, it may not be the only way that Boeing is able to demonstrate its system's full capabilities.

The uncrewed flight test was proposed by Boeing as a way to meet NASA's mission and safety requirements for certification and as a way to validate that the system can protect astronauts in space before flying crew. The uncrewed mission, including docking to the space station, became a part of the company's contract with NASA. Although docking was planned, it may not have to be accomplished prior to the crew demonstration. Boeing would need NASA's approval to proceed with a flight test with astronauts onboard.

Starliner currently is being transported from the landing location near the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range to the company's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility in Florida. Since landing, teams have safed the spacecraft for transport, downloaded data from the spacecraft's onboard systems for analysis and completed initial inspections of the interior and exterior of Starliner. A more detailed analysis will be conducted after the spacecraft arrives at its processing facility.

Boeing's Orbital Flight test launched on Friday, Dec. 20, on United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission successfully landed two days later on Sunday, Dec. 22, completing an abbreviated test that performed several mission objectives before returning to Earth as the first orbital land touchdown of a human-rated capsule in U.S. history.

posted 01-14-2020 02:49 PM               

Starliner arrives back in Florida, teams hard at work in 2020

On Wednesday, January 8, the Starliner that flew the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test returned safely to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After launching from Cape Canaveral on December 20, 2019, and landing at the White Sands Missile Range on December 22, the Starliner was recovered and prepared for shipment across the country, and then left the desert on January 3.

In general, the plan for post-flight processing of this spacecraft is as follows:

• Thorough external inspection

• Hatch opening and visual verification the seal is in good shape and will keep pressure integrity and people safe as the telemetry data indicates

• Interior inspection and verification the capsule is as clean as the telemetry data would indicate

• Removal of cover panels and some key components across systems including avionics, propulsion and life support, detailed inspection and verification of those key components after first flight

• Detailed inspection of chutes, rigging and airbags with emphasis on unexpected chafing and wear-and-tear

• Assessment of how heat loading during ascent and entry affected docking system and capsule sidewalls, will compare results against pre-flight thermal models

• Transition to standard post-flight refurbishment and pre-flight testing

In parallel, technicians will continue preparing another Starliner crew and service module for the next flight. That vehicle is currently in the final assembly and processing phases. Starliner engineers and analysts are also working on compiling and understanding all the data collected from the Orbital Flight Test, and together with our NASA customer, the data will be reviewed and decisions will be made based on what is learned. As this process continues, we will provide updates as timely and as accurately as possible, including initial results from external inspections and thermal assessments as early as this week.

In the meantime, an independent Boeing-NASA team has been formed and are reviewing the software anomaly to determine root cause and recommend corrective actions. Additionally, individual teams are evaluating data and conducting comprehensive system-by-system reviews as part of the normal post-flight test process. Boeing teams now have access to and are currently compiling results from the last of the data recorded during flight.

This includes:

• Compiling the specialized development measurements and comparing them to telemetry data to assess timing and consistency

• Some demonstration flight instrumentation (DFI) results revealing hull temp and strains, indicating structural integrity and accuracy of design forecasts

• Correlation of any visual inspection or data observations with the full set available

• Detailed reviews are underway in partnership with NASA, which we expect to wrap up in a few weeks

posted 01-31-2020 08:55 AM               

Starliner Teams Analyzing Orbital Flight Test Data as Preparations Continue for Next Flight

Boeing and NASA are nearing the conclusion of detailed evaluations on how each Starliner system performed during last month’s Orbital Flight Test (OFT). This process is separate from the joint Boeing-NASA independent review team investigating the mission clock anomaly that precluded docking with the International Space Station.

The thorough data analysis, which is part of the normal post-test flight review process, covers everything observed during prelaunch rehearsals and operations as well as the flight. Ultimately the analysis team will disposition anomalies and observations and evaluate which objectives were met and which require more work.

Independent of that process, Boeing announced January 29 that the company is taking a $410 million charge to provision for the possibility of another uncrewed test flight. While NASA will ultimately decide if an OFT re-flight is necessary, Boeing is as committed as ever to safe flight, mission assurance and helping our customer meet its crew transportation needs.

This provisional accounting measure puts the Starliner program in position to support another flight should that mission be deemed necessary, while limiting the schedule impact on beginning regular Starliner service missions to the space station. The charge is intended to cover not only the cost of another flight test, but also the anomaly investigation and corrective action implementation, program disruptions and other work outside the scope of normal program operational costs post-OFT.

Meanwhile, Starliner teams are continuing production and refurbishment efforts on two spacecraft in Florida. A crew module and service module are entering the final stages of production while the crew module that flew OFT is undergoing its standard refurbishment process. Both spacecraft are on pace to support flights in 2020.

posted 02-06-2020 10:00 PM               

Statement on Independent Review Team Recommendations for the Starliner Orbital Flight Test Anomalies

We accept and appreciate the recommendations of the jointly led NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team (IRT) as well as suggestions from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel following Starliner's Orbital Flight Test (OFT). Their insights are invaluable to the Commercial Crew Program and we will work with NASA to comprehensively apply their recommendations.

• Regarding the Mission Elapsed Timer anomaly, the IRT believes they found root cause and provided a number of recommendations and corrective actions.

• The IRT also investigated a valve mapping software issue, which was diagnosed and fixed in flight. That error in the software would have resulted in an incorrect thruster separation and disposal burn. What would have resulted from that is unclear.

• The IRT is also making significant progress on understanding the command dropouts encountered during the mission and is further investigating methods to make the Starliner communications system more robust on future missions.

We are already working on many of the recommended fixes including re-verifying flight software code.

Our next task is to build a plan that incorporates IRT recommendations, NASA's Organizational Safety Assessment (OSA) and any other oversight NASA chooses after considering IRT findings. Once NASA approves that plan, we will be able to better estimate timelines for the completion of all tasks. It remains too soon to speculate about next flight dates.

posted 02-07-2020 09:03 AM               

NASA Shares Initial Findings from Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test Investigation

Following the anomaly that occurred during the December Boeing Starliner Orbital Fight Test (OFT), NASA and Boeing formed a joint investigation team tasked with examining the primary issues, which occurred during that test. Those issues included three specific concerns revealed during flight:

1. An error with the Mission Elapsed Timer (MET), which incorrectly polled time from the Atlas V booster nearly 11 hours prior to launch.

2. A software issue within the Service Module (SM) Disposal Sequence, which incorrectly translated the SM disposal sequence into the SM Integrated Propulsion Controller (IPC).

3. An Intermittent Space-to-Ground (S/G) forward link issue, which impeded the Flight Control team's ability to command and control the vehicle.

The joint investigation team convened in early January and has now identified the direct causes and preliminary corrective actions for the first two anomalies. The intermittent communications issues still are under investigation.

NASA reviewed these results on Friday, Jan. 31 along with multiple suggested corrective actions recommended by the team. While NASA was satisfied that the team had properly identified the technical root cause of the two anomalies, they requested the team to perform a more in-depth analysis as to why the anomalies occurred, including an analysis of whether the issues were indicative of weak internal software processes or failure in applying those processes.

The team is in the process of performing this additional analysis, as well as continuing the investigation of the intermittent communications issues. NASA briefed the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel on the status of the investigation this week.

Regarding the first two anomalies, the team found the two critical software defects were not detected ahead of flight despite multiple safeguards. Ground intervention prevented loss of vehicle in both cases. Breakdowns in the design and code phase inserted the original defects.

Additionally, breakdowns in the test and verification phase failed to identify the defects preflight despite their detectability. While both errors could have led to risk of spacecraft loss, the actions of the NASA-Boeing team were able to correct the issues and return the Starliner spacecraft safely to Earth.

There was no simple cause of the two software defects making it into flight. Software defects, particularly in complex spacecraft code, are not unexpected. However, there were numerous instances where the Boeing software quality processes either should have or could have uncovered the defects.

Due to these breakdowns found in design, code and test of the software, they will require systemic corrective actions. The team has already identified a robust set of 11 top-priority corrective actions. More will be identified after the team completes its additional work.

The joint team made excellent progress for this stage of the investigation. However, it's still too early for us to definitively share the root causes and full set of corrective actions needed for the Starliner system. We do expect to have those results at the end of February, as was our initial plan.

We want to make sure we have a comprehensive understanding of what happened so that we can fully explain the root causes and better assess future work that will be needed. Most critically, we want to assure that these necessary steps are completely understood prior to determining the plan for future flights.

Separate from the anomaly investigation, NASA also is still reviewing the data collected during the flight test to help determine that future plan. NASA expects a decision on this review to be complete in the next several weeks.

In addition to these reviews, NASA is planning to perform an Organizational Safety Assessment of Boeing's work related to the Commercial Crew Program. The comprehensive safety review will include individual employee interviews with a sampling from a cross section of personnel, including senior managers, mid-level management and supervision, and engineers and technicians at multiple sites. The review would be added to the company's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract.

NASA previously completed a more limited review of the company. The goal of the Organizational Safety Assessment will be to examine the workplace culture with the commercial crew provider ahead of a mission with astronauts.

posted 02-28-2020 10:31 PM               

Boeing Starliner Program Update

In the spirit of transparency, and as Boeing shares in NASA's goal to launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil, CST-100 Starliner Program Manager John Mulholland talked with reporters February 28 about what the team learned from the late 2019 Orbital Flight Test.

Boeing recently completed a thorough post-flight data review and is already incorporating interim recommendations from the jointly led NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team (IRT), which has been examining anomalies that occurred during the test flight. Those included two software errors and an intermittent communications link issue. A final report is expected soon and will be discussed in more detail during a NASA-hosted media teleconference next Friday (March 6).

posted 07-07-2020 01:43 PM               

NASA and Boeing Complete Orbital Flight Test Reviews

NASA and Boeing have completed major reviews of the company's uncrewed Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 and are continuing with preparations to refly the test, designated Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2), to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

"NASA and Boeing have completed a tremendous amount of work reviewing the issues experienced during the uncrewed flight test of Starliner," said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator at NASA. "Ultimately, everything we've found will help us improve as we move forward in the development and testing of Starliner, and in our future work with commercial industry as a whole."

The joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review team completed the final assessment into the intermittent space-to-ground communication issue detected during the first uncrewed Orbital Flight Test of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The review team previously completed its investigation into the two other primary anomalies experienced during the test.

With the completion of the investigation's third and final focus area, the review team identified a total of 80 recommendations that Boeing, in collaboration with NASA, is addressing, with action plans for each already well under way. Although the full list of recommendations is company sensitive and proprietary, the categories of the corrective and preventative actions are as follows:

• Testing and Simulation: 21 recommendations including the need for greater hardware and software integration testing; performance of an end-to-end "run for record" test prior to each flight using the maximum amount of flight hardware available; reviewing subsystem behaviors and limitations; and addressing any identified simulation or emulation gaps.

• Requirements: 10 recommendations including an assessment of all software requirements with multiple logic conditions to ensure test coverage.

• Process and Operational Improvements: 35 recommendations including modifications to change board documentation; bolstering required participants in peer reviews and test data reviews; and increasing the involvement of subject matter experts in safety critical areas.

• Software: 7 recommendations including updating the software code and associated artifacts to correct the Mission Elapsed Timer Epoch and Service Module disposal anomalies; and making the antenna selection algorithm more robust.

• Knowledge Capture and Hardware Modification: 7 recommendations such as organizational changes to the safety reporting structure; amending the Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) approach; and the addition of an external Radio Frequency (RF) filter to reject out-of-band interference.

As a result of this work and Boeing's separate analysis, the company proactively announced in April it would fly a second orbital test at no cost to the government to prove the Starliner system meets NASA's requirements, including docking to the space station.

Boeing and NASA have asked the independent review team to remain engaged as a valuable and important partner in the Starliner's path to crewed flight. Additionally, lessons learned from the Starliner's first uncrewed flight test are being shared across the human spaceflight community to strengthen the industry as a whole.

"As vital as it is to understand the technical causes that resulted in the flight test not fulfilling all of its planned objectives, it's equally as important to understand how those causes connect to organizational factors that could be contributors," said Jurczyk. "That's why NASA also decided to perform a high visibility close call review that looked at our combined teams."

NASA has now also completed the high visibility close call investigation to specifically review the organizational factors within NASA and Boeing that could have contributed to the flight test anomalies. The close call investigation team, established in March, was tasked with developing recommendations that could be used to prevent similar close calls from occurring in the future.

The close call team built off the technical findings of the joint independent review team related to the software coding errors made during the development of the spacecraft. The team also received additional briefings, held subject matter expert discussions and conducted interviews across the organizations.

Based on the findings, the team developed the following recommendations for the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate to incorporate into future programs:

• Require that the systems engineering management plan delivered by each contractor contain specific requirements related to the contractor's management approach.

• Ensure that NASA reviews and approves the contractor's hazard verification test plans prior to test execution.

• Ensure NASA independent validation and verification (IV&V) teams provide insight to contractor IV&V agents.

• Implement an approach that ensures alternate standards are reviewed and approved prior to beginning development work.

• Develop a best practices document for use by future programs that implement the shared accountability model used in NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

• Evaluate Boeing's actions developed by the joint independent review team for applicability post-certification.

With the development of these recommendations, the high visibility close call investigation has concluded.

"I can't stress enough how committed the Boeing team has been throughout this process," said Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight development at NASA. "Boeing has worked collaboratively with NASA to perform these detailed assessments. To be clear, we have a lot more work ahead, but these significant steps help us move forward on the path toward resuming our flight tests."

Boeing and NASA have not yet established a launch date for OFT-2.