Boeing's Starliner makes it into orbit at long last – with human crew aboard
- Reference: 1717612087
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/06/05/boeing_starliner_launch_success/
- Source link:
This comes after years of delays over faults that have left the US aerospace giant Boeing lagging well behind Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The Starliner manned spacecraft launched into Earth's orbit from Cape Canaveral at 1452 UTC, ending a lengthy run of unfortunate events that had resulted in repeated delays before liftoff. You can replay the whole thing below; the one-minute countdown to blast off starts at the 4 hour, 9 minute, 16 second mark.
[1]
[2]Youtube Video
[3]
[4]
While the mission is far from over, as the crew needs to eventually make it back to Earth in one piece, it's quite a relief to see the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket soar into the sky carrying the Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS). That alliance being a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
Previous Starliner launch attempts were scrubbed, first due to a valve issue with the Atlas V's Centaur upper stage and then due to a [5]power supply problem with one of the ground computers. If today had required another scrub, there would have been an opportunity tomorrow, after which the Atlas V would require a few weeks to switch out batteries.
[6]
It has been a long journey to space for the Starliner crew, figuratively speaking. The first non-crewed launch of the spacecraft [7]ended with the capsule being unable to reach the ISS and a near catastrophe during rocket separation.
The first attempt went so badly in fact that Boeing was forced to try again and launch a second non-crewed test, which [8]fared somewhat better . However, there was still a lengthy delay between that launch and this first mission with humans onboard, as issues continued to crop up.
[9]Boeing's Starliner finds yet another way to not reach space
[10]NASA, Boeing opt to fly leaky thruster as-is for first crewed Starliner CST-100 mission
[11]Boeing's Calamity Capsule launch date slides into the future
[12]Another week, another leak for Boeing's Starliner crew capsule
In the meantime, Boeing's rival SpaceX has continued to [13]launch mission after mission with its Crew Dragon capsule, which first delivered astronauts to the ISS four years ago.
At the time of writing, the Starliner spacecraft, carrying veteran astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, had performed a successful orbit insertion burn. Rendezvous with the ISS is expected at around 1615 UTC on June 6, all going well.
The crew has a few more tasks to perform before hitting the sack for a period, including checking out the manual controls of the Starliner. The mission is expected to last a week before the spacecraft, dubbed Calypso, returns to Earth. If all goes well, the first operational mission, which will carry a crew of four to the ISS, should launch in early 2025.
[14]
And no, we won't be retiring the Calamity Capsule nickname until the crew is safely back on Earth. But considering how smoothly things have gone so far, perhaps it won't be long now. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZmDf@H2I2zNRPMmDxkSaQgAAAM8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HneVxAmYcaA
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZmDf@H2I2zNRPMmDxkSaQgAAAM8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZmDf@H2I2zNRPMmDxkSaQgAAAM8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/boeing_starliner_launch_scrubbed/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZmDf@H2I2zNRPMmDxkSaQgAAAM8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/10/more_software_errors_beset_boeings_calamity_capsule/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/20/boeing_starliner/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/boeing_starliner_launch_scrubbed/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/28/boeing_padstayer_to_become_padleaver/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/boeings_calamity_capsule_launch_date/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/20/starliner_launch_delayed_again/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/01/spacex_crew_dragon_docks_at_iss/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZmDf@H2I2zNRPMmDxkSaQgAAAM8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Let's get that brave duo to the ISS and then home to Earth safely
Amen to that.
All astronauts need to be brave but these two have gone a step beyond that and definitely deserve at least a medal when they return.
They still have The Right Stuff.
Perhaps a similar medal...
...should be given to all those that survive a 787 or 737 Max flight..!
(In all seriousness, I agree utterly that these two souls are extra brave for getting on board this thing after all the issues).
But can we and the ‘el-reg’ writers still use the ‘Calamity Capsule’ title? I do hope so, whoever came uo with that phrase was inspired (was it you Richard)?
Don't get me wrong, massive respect to the two people on board, and also to the actual Boeing engineers who got it off the ground. Alas most of the kudos will end up going to Boeing managers who were ultimately responsible for a, what, seven year delay, can I see a big bonus incoming here for them?
OK, fine, the US now seems to have two companies capable of sending meat-sacks into LEO - let’s hope this doesn’t mean that NASA plays off Boeing and Space-X to get the lowest possible tender for a lunch. Because, ultimately, I don’t think it’ll end well.
"I see a big bonus incoming here for them?"
I hope not! It's massively late, hugely over budget and it's NOT a cost-plus contract (for once!) and Boeing have lost a huge wodge of cash on it.
There may possibly be some small bonus for those who have "saved the day", possibly coming in later, finding the issues and resolving them, but any "managers" involved from the start of the project need to put somewhere "safe" for their future career path :-)
NASA doing why they do best ..
Chunking things into space !!
See ya in the Pub..!
Re: NASA doing why they do best ..
I think we'd all be happier if they arrived in one piece!
(((FAKE)))
Headline -- an unintentional tease
"Boeing's Starliner makes it into orbit at long last – with human crew aboard " but no mention if the humans were still alive...
(Yes, the article basically says they are without explicitly saying "the crew is (still) alive". Not that I want them dead, but that would truly put the "calamity" in El Reg's nickname for this capsule.)