Boeing Starliner (CST-100) CFT mission : undocking & return UPDATES : 6 Sep 2024

[sdsds]

Started. NASA and Boeing PR.

[StraumliBlight]

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Mission Undocking and Return Timeline

Friday, September 6: [CT]
• 4:19:00 p.m. – Go/no go for undocking
• 4:44:00 p.m. – Final weather briefing prior to undocking
• 4:45:00 p.m. – NASA+ begins for undocking
• 5:00:00 p.m. – Authority to Proceed for undocking issued
• 5:04:00 p.m. – Undocking
• 5:04:02 p.m. – Sep burn 1
• 5:04:08 p.m. – Sep burn 2
• 5:05:00 p.m. – Starliner is 200 meters from Harmony
• 5:05:59 p.m. – Breakout Sequence 56 burn issued
• 5:09:15 p.m. – Keep Out Sphere exit
• 5:10:21 p.m. – Breakout Sequence Completed
• 5:25:30 p.m. – Approach Ellipsoid exit
• 6:42:30 p.m. – Entry Cover Closure
• 7:05:00 p.m. – OMAC checkout
• 8:34:01 p.m. – CM Hot-fire
• 9:50:00 p.m. – NASA+ begins for deorbit through landing
• 9:57:00 p.m. – Go/no go for the deorbit burn
• 10:17:13 p.m. – Deorbit burn (59 second burn; delta V of 129.9 meters per second; 4 OMACS
burn)
• 10:20:46 p.m. – Service Module separation and disposal
• 10:45:25 p.m. – Entry Interface
• 10:47:54 p.m. – Blackout period begins at an altitude of 54 miles (4 minutes, 31 seconds)
• 10:52:25 p.m. – Blackout period ends at an altitude of 32.9 miles
• 10:56:19 p.m. – Forward Heat Shield Jettison
• 10:56:24 p.m. – Drogue Chute Deploy
• 10:57:31 p.m. – Main Chute Deploy
• 10:57:45 p.m. – Rotational Handle Release
• 10:58:00 p.m. – Back Heat Shield Jettison
• 10:58:31 p.m. – Airbag Inflation
• 11:00:52 p.m. – STARLINER LANDING

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1832175377181028456

As Starliner prepares to undock without its crew, NASA says the teams checked the spacecraft's helium leak rate. Everything looked good, NASA said, and they have plenty of margin for the rest of the flight.

[sdsds]

Navias in ISS control room.

[sdsds]

Mission control informed crew of GO for undock.

[sdsds]

Sep confirmed.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1832178176266793165

Starliner CFT has undocked from the ISS.

youtube.com/live/AG3eNnzhk…

[sdsds]

Thrusters first firing complete; good first burn.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1832179655375220754

#Starliner has exited the @Space_Station Keep Out Sphere.

[sdsds]

View of ISS from Starliner VESTA system.

Navias says flight dynamics is on track, 13.5 statute miles per rev.

[sdsds]

750m away. Lots of angular relative motion of Starliner in free drift.

Edit to add: PR says 900 m distant and 1.2 m/s relative velocity (I think that's what was said, but double check it.)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1832182772271558940

#Starliner has exited the approach ellipsoid for @Space_Station as it continues its return to Earth.

[sdsds]

Pretty sure this is the exit trajectory plot.

Edit to add: undock coverage concluded.

[jcm]

Here is a track based on the latest ISS TLE, showing Starliner's path right on track for White Sands at the appropriate time.
However the two NOTAM areas given upthread for the SM reentry (white outlines) make no sense.

[Robert_the_Doll]

Likely due to the separation maneuver the service module will make to avoid colliding with the capsule and vice versa with the capsule using the blunt body lifting and thrusters to steer towards White Sands.

[catdlr]

A summary Highlight of the separation procedure:

[hartspace]

NASA's Re-entry and Landing stream is up.

[cohberg]

Per NASA PAO:
1 of 12 crew module thrusters did not fire when commanded.
2 strings of 6 thrusters for redundancy

[hartspace]

Per PAO, go for re-entry has been given

[hartspace]

The WB-57 is airborne in New Mexico