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#240 by SMS on 25 Aug, 2020 16:46
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#241 by MATTBLAK on 25 Aug, 2020 17:06
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I'm so glad Jeanette is getting this assignment!! She is a nice, supercool woman. Was honoured to meet her twice at two separate World Science Fiction Conventions. I know I've got a picture of her posing with me round here somewhere...
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#242 by ddspaceman on 25 Aug, 2020 20:32
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#243 by FutureSpaceTourist on 26 Aug, 2020 12:56
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https://twitter.com/spaceflightnow/status/1298602979105415170Quote
Boeing says it's “making excellent progress” toward launching a second unpiloted test flight of its Starliner capsule to the space station by the end of this year or in early January, paving the way for the first Starliner crew test flight in mid-2021. spaceflightnow.com/2020/08/25/boe…
Quote from Boeing:Quote“After a successful OFT-2, Boeing and NASA will fly Starliner’s first crewed mission, the Crew Flight Test, in the summer of 2021, with the first post-certification mission, Starliner-1, tentatively scheduled for the following winter.”
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#244 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 Aug, 2020 18:24
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Quote
Aug. 28, 2020
Boeing’s Starliner Makes Progress Ahead of Flight Test with Astronauts
NASA and Boeing continue to make progress toward the company’s second uncrewed flight test of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft prior to flying astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The Commercial Crew Program currently is targeting no earlier than December 2020 for launch of the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) pending hardware readiness, flight software qualification, and launch vehicle and space station manifest priorities.
Over the summer, Boeing’s Starliner team focused on readying the next spacecraft for its upcoming flight tests as well as making improvements identified during various review processes throughout the beginning of the year. NASA also announced an additional crew assignment for its first operational mission, NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1, with astronauts to the space station. Here’s more on the recent progress:
Starliner Progress
Teams from Boeing are well into final assembly of the crew and service modules that will fly OFT-2 to the space station inside of the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OFT-2 will fly a new, reusable Starliner crew module providing additional on-orbit experience for the operational teams prior to flying missions with astronauts. For Boeing’s Commercial Crew missions, the Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
With the majority of assembly complete, recent progress is focused on the NASA docking system re-entry cover, which was added to the design for additional protection of the system. The team also has completed the installation of the Starliner propellant heater, thermal protection system tiles and the air bags that will be used when the spacecraft touches down for landing. As final production activities continue to progress, the crew module recently entered acceptance testing, which will prove out the systems on the spacecraft before it’s mated with its service module.
In Houston, the software team is nearing the final stages of modifying and re-verifying the flight code after the first uncrewed flight test. As part of that effort, the team recently began a major milestone called Formal Qualification Testing, which is a comprehensive test of flight software and an important step in preparing for an end-to-end mission rehearsal test.
Boeing also remains focused on incorporating the recommendations from the joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team with almost 75% of the 80 proposed actions implemented. The independent team was formed to review anomalies experienced during OFT, which led to Starliner not reaching its planned orbit or docking to station as planned, and to provide recommendations to ensure a robust design for future missions. In addition to opting to re-fly its uncrewed flight test, Boeing elected to comprehensively implement all of the recommendations provided by the review team.
Following a successful OFT-2, Boeing will focus full attention on preparations for its final flight test with astronauts and is already completing work on the Crew Flight Test spacecraft in parallel. Teams continue refurbishing the crew module flown on Starliner’s first uncrewed flight test for reuse with astronauts. After removing and conducting checkouts on various systems and flight hardware, Boeing is preparing to reassemble the vehicle for flight. Soon, outfitting of the crew module’s interior will begin along with packing parachutes and airbags ahead of installation. The vehicle’s NASA Docking System has been modified to accommodate the new cover, and outfitting of subsystem components continues on the spacecraft’s brand new service module.
Crew Updates and Target Flight Schedules
In advance of the OFT-2 mission, flight control teams from NASA and Boeing completed an integrated launch-to-docking simulation in August with additional mission simulations on the horizon as the teams fine-tune flight rules and procedures.
After a successful OFT-2, Boeing and NASA will fly Starliner’s first crewed mission, the Crew Flight Test, currently targeted for no earlier than June 2021, with the first post-certification mission, called Starliner-1, tentatively scheduled for no earlier than late December 2021.
The CFT crew members are Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann.
In addition to training for living and working on station, astronauts continue to work closely with Starliner test teams. Several crew members plan to participate in ongoing acceptance testing of the OFT-2 crew module inside the C3PF.
Recently, the CFT crew helped test software updates with real flight hardware in Boeing’s Avionics and Software Integration Lab in Houston. They practiced performing manual separation events for several low likelihood contingencies, demonstrating the software improvements had no adverse effect on controls needed to stay safe in any situation. The crew also participated in procedural dry runs for future life support tests with the Starliner spacecraft in Florida. Later this year, the CFT crew will be suited inside the spacecraft with the vehicle providing all of their life support.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Josh Cassada and Jeanette Epps are crew members of the Starliner-1 mission. Cassada and Williams were both selected for the mission in August 2018, and NASA announced Epps’ assignment Aug. 25.
Astronauts for both CFT and Starliner-1 missions regularly participate in rehearsals of launch and mission operations in both normal and emergency scenarios. They also are continuing with on-going mission-specific training for life in orbit including the work they’ll perform after joining their respective Expedition crews awaiting them on station.
The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
More details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found in the press kit online and by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew and commercial crew on Facebook.
Last Updated: Aug. 28, 2020
Editor: James Cawley
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/boeing-s-starliner-makes-progress-ahead-of-flight-test-with-astronauts/
Image 1 caption:QuoteThe CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to be flown on Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test (OFT) is viewed Nov. 2, 2019, while undergoing launch preparations inside the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Credits: Boeing
Image 2 caption:QuoteNASA astronauts Nicole Mann, left, Mike Fincke, and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson, right, pose for a photograph on Sept. 11, 2019, as they, along with teams from NASA, Boeing and the White Sands Missile Range, rehearse landing and crew extraction from Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.
Credits: Boeing
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#245 by SMS on 28 Aug, 2020 19:17
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Quote
Boeing Continues Production, Improvements Toward Second Uncrewed Flight Test This Year
August 28, 2020
Over the summer, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner team has focused on readying the next vehicle for its upcoming test flight and incorporating recommendations that were identified during various reviews completed earlier in the year. While hardware production continues at the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, progress is being made on software coding and testing mostly in Houston.
On the production side, teams are well into final assembly of the crew and service modules that will fly the next mission. This will be the first flight of the reusable crew module, and the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) will give operational teams on-orbit experience with both crew modules in the Starliner fleet before astronauts take flight. Of note, recent progress includes NASA docking system cover checkouts, propellant heater installation, landing airbag installation and thermal protection system tile installation. As final production activities continue, the crew module entered an acceptance test, which will prove out the systems on the spacecraft.
The software team is also nearing the final stages of modifying and re-verifying the flight code after the first flight test. The team recently began a major milestone called Formal Qualification Testing. This is the last and most comprehensive test of the flight software and, upon successful completion, the software will be ready for flight.
Nearly 75 percent of the recommendations from the recently completed joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team have been implemented. Boeing elected to implement all recommendations even though only the highest of the three priority classifications were deemed mandatory before the next flight.
Boeing and NASA are currently targeting December for the launch of OFT-2, pending hardware readiness, flight software qualification, and launch vehicle and space station manifest priorities. After a successful OFT-2, Boeing and NASA will fly Starliner’s first crewed mission, the Crew Flight Test, in June of 2021, with the first post-certification mission, Starliner-1, tentatively scheduled for December 2021.
Image caption:QuoteStarliner’s OFT-2 crew module in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, August 2020
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#246 by soltasto on 06 Sep, 2020 20:07
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From the SMSR schedule, OFT-2 now January 4th, 2021
https://sma.nasa.gov/docs/default-source/sma-disciplines-and-programs/smsr/smsr-intergrated-master-schedule_24feb2020.pdf?sfvrsn=8290faf8_4
[zubenelgenubi: typo correction] -
#247 by schaban on 06 Sep, 2020 20:55
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It also show Boeing crew 1 after SpaceX crew 4 in 2022
How reliable dates that far out and are they ever move to earlier? -
#248 by Comga on 06 Sep, 2020 21:01
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From the SMSR schedule, OFT-1 now January 4th, 2021
"1/4/2021 NET"
https://sma.nasa.gov/docs/default-source/sma-disciplines-and-programs/smsr/smsr-intergrated-master-schedule_24feb2020.pdf?sfvrsn=8290faf8_4
Summary of all "crew" vehicle entries from that document:
(Obviously there will be changes in order and dates before most of these launch)
MISSION TASK NAME LAUNCH VEHICLE SITE
SpaceX Crew 1 10/23/2020 NET Falcon 9 KSC
SpaceX-21 11/15/2020 Falcon 9 KSC
Boeing-OFT2 (Uncrewed) 1/4/2021 NET Atlas V N22 CCAFS
SpaceX-22 3/12/2021 Falcon 9 CCAFS
SpaceX Crew 2 3/30/2021 Falcon 9 KSC
Boeing-CFT 1 Launch (crewed) Apr-21 Atlas V N22 CCAFS
SpaceX-23 5/10/2021 Falcon 9 CCAFS
SpaceX Crew 3 8/12/2021 Falcon 9 KSC
SpaceX-24 10/2/2021 Falcon 9 CCAFS
SpaceX Crew 4 2/4/2022 Falcon 9 KSC
Boeing Crew 1 2/24/2022 Atlas V N22 CCAFS
SpaceX-25 Apr-22 Falcon 9 CCAFS
Boeing Crew 2 4/21/2022 Atlas V N22 CCAFS
SpaceX-26 Sep-22 Falcon 9 CCAFS
Boeing Crew 3 12/14/2022 Atlas V N22 CCAFS
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#249 by gongora on 06 Sep, 2020 21:02
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None of the Boeing dates past OFT-2 on that schedule have been updated, they will change.
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#250 by FutureSpaceTourist on 01 Oct, 2020 15:49
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https://twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1311694106696069120Quote
During the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, Donald McErlean notes that Boeing's second uncrewed test flight of Starliner is NET December 2020, while it's first crewed flight is NET June 2021. First operational mission of Starliner then around December 2021.
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#251 by snotis on 01 Oct, 2020 16:27
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https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/1311697886724403200Quote
ASAP’s Don McErlean says Boeing is aggressively pursuing solutions to problems encountered on the Starliner’s OFT test flight in Dec. 2019.
“It remains to be seen whether or not [Boeing] will be able to support the schedule” for the OFT-2 mission in December/January. -
#252 by snotis on 01 Oct, 2020 16:28
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https://twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1311697982132310023Quote
McErlean: "Other issues with the Starliner system have been identified during this review process and mitigation plans are in process to resolve or mitigate these issues as well."
https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1311698713899929600QuoteNASA safety panel member Don McErlean says Boeing is targeting December 2020 for its uncrewed test flight re-do, but sticking to that date "remains to be seen" as the post-anomaly reviews turned up "a very intense and significant amount of work" that'll be required before flight.
Quote"We continue to worry and show a source of concern of whether or not [Boeing's] progress and proposed solutions will meet the defined schedule," McErlean said. "Additional problems," besides Starliner's known software issues, were discovered during the joint NASA-Boeing reviews.
QuoteASAP members have previously cited lists tallying 100+ recommendations combined from NASA+Boeing's post-OFT reviews, projecting a tough path to OFT2.
1st time, however, the panel cast doubt on Boeing's projected dates and cited additional, currently unknown Starliner problems.QuoteStarliner problems found during post-OFT reviews have reverberated around NASA and prompted reviews in other Boeing-involved programs like SLS. Safety panel member Paul Hill says it was an engineering “gift," (or wakeup call).
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#253 by FutureSpaceTourist on 07 Oct, 2020 15:10
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https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1313857261379497984Quote
Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson say he has made the "difficult and personal decision ... to step aside as the commander" of Boeing's first Starliner crewed flight test scheduled for next year.
twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1313857717283491840QuoteFerguson: "Next year is very important for my family. I have made several commitments which I simply cannot risk missing. I'm not going anywhere – I'm just not going to space next year."
twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1313858772935282690QuoteBoeing announces that NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore will serve as the first Starliner commander, in place of Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson. Wilmore has been training as a backup crew member, and will join Nicole Mann and Mike Fincke for the mission. $BA
https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1313859164335206401QuoteFerguson will serve as Boeing's director of Mission Integration and Operations.
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#254 by SMS on 07 Oct, 2020 15:58
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Quote
Boeing Astronaut Passes Starliner Torch to Veteran NASA Astronaut
- Barry “Butch” Wilmore will now command the Starliner Crew Flight Test
HOUSTON, Oct. 7, 2020 — NASA has chosen veteran astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore to serve as commander of Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] CST-100 Starliner for the Crew Flight Test. He replaces Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson, who decided not to fly for personal reasons. Wilmore, who has already been training for a Starliner flight as a backup crew member, will join Nicole Mann and Mike Fincke for this first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft.
“I’m grateful to Chris for his exceptional leadership and insight into this very complex and most capable vehicle,” Wilmore said. “Having had the chance to train alongside and view this outstanding crew as backup has been instrumental in my preparation to assume this position. Stepping down was a difficult decision for Chris, but with his leadership and assistance to this point, this crew is positioned for success. We will move forward in the same professional and dedicated manner that Chris has forged.”
Ferguson will serve as the director of Mission Integration and Operations where he will focus on ensuring the Starliner spacecraft and training systems meet the needs of NASA’s astronauts, as well as supporting them throughout their training and mission. In this role, Ferguson will be one of the last people the crew sees before leaving Earth and one of the first they see upon their return.
“My personal thank you to Chris for his leadership; he is putting his family first, which Boeing fully supports,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We are fortunate he will continue to take an active role on the Starliner program and bring his depth and breadth of experience in human spaceflight to the program.”
Ferguson has been an integral part of the Starliner program since 2011 after retiring from NASA as a three-time space shuttle veteran.
“I have full confidence in the Starliner vehicle, the men and women building and testing it, and the NASA astronauts who will ultimately fly it,” Ferguson said. “The Boeing team has taken all lessons from our first uncrewed Orbital Flight Test to heart, and is making Starliner one of the safest new crewed spacecraft ever fielded. I will be here on the ground supporting Butch, Nicole and Mike while they prove it.”
Wilmore will begin training with his crewmates immediately in preparation for the 2021 flight to the International Space Station.
“Butch will be able to step in seamlessly, and his previous experience on both space shuttle and space station missions make him a valuable addition to this flight,” said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. “Chris has been a talented member of the crew for this mission. The NASA and Boeing Commercial Crew teams sincerely appreciate the invaluable work he has completed and will continue to lead in the development of Starliner, which will help ensure that the Starliner Crew Flight Test will be a success.”
The development of a safe, reliable and cost-effective solution for crew transportation services to and from the International Space Station remains a priority for Boeing, allowing the on-orbit research facility to continue to fulfill its promise as a world-class laboratory.
For more about Starliner, visit www.boeing.com/starliner. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingSpace.
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130747 -
#255 by SMS on 07 Oct, 2020 16:15
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#256 by SMS on 07 Oct, 2020 16:19
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#257 by FutureSpaceTourist on 07 Oct, 2020 16:20
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https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1313873006037479426Quote
Side note: Boeing and NASA are looking at Jan. 4, 2021 for Starliner's uncrewed test re-flight. Then possibly the crewed launch in April.
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#258 by SMS on 07 Oct, 2020 17:21
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#259 by FutureSpaceTourist on 14 Oct, 2020 15:35
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https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1316400972772581377Quote
#Starliner is one step closer to launch.
Our team at @NASAKennedy installed the base heat shield on the reusable Orbital Flight Test-2 crew module. The heat shield protects the spacecraft and future crew from re-entry temperatures as hot as 3,000° F. #IAC2020
