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#300 by FutureSpaceTourist on 15 Apr, 2021 23:59
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https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1382840718750810116
QuoteReflight of @BoeingSpace CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2)to @Space_Station not expected until Aug-Sept timeframe, says NASA
https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/1382840132777123842QuoteNASA’s Steve Stich says teams are looking at the August/September timeframe for Boeing’s second Starliner Orbital Flight Test, and the Starliner Crew Flight Test toward the end of this year.
Surely with OFT-2 moving so late, first crewed test slips to 2022? -
#301 by kdhilliard on 16 Apr, 2021 16:36
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...
QuoteNASA’s Steve Stich says teams are looking at the August/September timeframe for Boeing’s second Starliner Orbital Flight Test, and the Starliner Crew Flight Test toward the end of this year.
Surely with OFT-2 moving so late, first crewed test slips to 2022?
You'd think. But here is what Steve Stich said during yesterday's Crew-2 Flight Readiness Review Media Teleconference, in response to a question from Marcia Dunn (AP):Quote from: Steve StichIn terms of the Starliner flights, we continue to look at the ISS traffic model and the launch manifest here with the Atlas. We've got this Crew-2 mission coming up, and then we undock the Crew-1 mission. Then there'll be a Cargo Resupply flight that Joel can talk more about, but there's some critical solar arrays that fly up on that, in the June time frame. That's about a 45-day mission or so. So right now the windows we're looking at are the August-September time frame for OFT-2. And then for the Crewed Flight Test, we're looking at that flight being toward the end of the calendar year, in that last quarter of the year. That vehicle is getting ready to go fly as well.
29:34 https://youtube.com/watch?v=TtXGK4yGwF4&t=1774s -
#302 by FutureSpaceTourist on 17 Apr, 2021 12:39
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https://starlinerupdates.com/nasa-and-boeing-targeting-august-september-for-starliners-uncrewed-orbital-flight-test-2-launch/Quote
NASA and Boeing Targeting August/September for Starliner’s Uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 Launch
April 17, 2021
NASA and Boeing are targeting August/September for the launch of Starliner’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission to the International Space Station and will evaluate options if an earlier launch opportunity becomes available. The current schedule is supported by a space station docking opportunity and the availability of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Eastern Range.
Boeing will be mission-ready in May should another launch opportunity arise. The Starliner team has completed all work on the OFT-2 vehicle except for activity to be conducted closer to launch, such as loading cargo and fueling the spacecraft. The team also has submitted all verification and validation paperwork to NASA and is completing all Independent Review Team recommended actions including those that were not mandatory ahead of OFT-2.
Software and Mission Operations teammates in Houston have been hard at work conducting flight software simulations, including end-to-end confidence and integration testing that will serve as a mission dress rehearsal before every future Starliner flight. Boeing expects to conclude all software testing in April and will support the agency’s post-test reviews as needed.
The Starliner team is now preparing for the Crew Flight Test (CFT) to enable the shortest turnaround time possible between flights while maintaining its focus on crew safety. NASA’s CFT astronauts recently suited up and climbed aboard Starliner to perform a fully integrated and powered checkout of the OFT-2 vehicle supported by life support and communications systems. The OFT-2 spacecraft and all systems are nearly identical to those that will fly during Starliner’s first crewed mission, which will be the second flight of that spacecraft.
Safely and sustainably transporting crew and cargo to and from low Earth orbit destinations for NASA and other future customers is the ultimate goal. Boeing is confident in the Starliner vehicle, the team and the missions ahead as the program nears the completion of its development phase.
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#303 by Targeteer on 02 May, 2021 23:05
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Steve Stich confirmed the Aug-Sep time frame during the Space-X post landing crew conference...
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#304 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 May, 2021 15:27
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https://flic.kr/p/2kWZa4WQuote
KSC-20210428-PH-BOE01_0001
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft undergoes preparations for the company’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Wednesday, April 28, 2021. As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, OFT-2 is a critical developmental milestone on Boeing’s path to fly crew missions for NASA. Photo credit: Boeing
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#305 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 May, 2021 17:18
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https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1390354410585436162Quote
🚀 Launch update: Pending Eastern Range approval, the mission-ready #Starliner team is targeting July 30 for Orbital Flight Test-2 to @Space_Station.
Learn more: https://starlinerupdates.com/boeing-and-nasa-update-launch-target-for-next-starliner-test-flight/QuoteBoeing and NASA update launch target for next Starliner test flight
May 6, 2021
Boeing and NASA are targeting 2:53 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, July 30, for the launch of Starliner’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2, or OFT-2, mission to the International Space Station pending range approval. The updated launch target is supported by the space station visiting vehicle schedule and availability of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Boeing will continue preparing the Crew Flight Test vehicle for flight until launch activities involving the OFT-2 vehicle, such as loading cargo and fueling the spacecraft, are scheduled to begin. Boeing recently completed end-to-end testing of Starliner’s flight software by flying a five-day simulated OFT-2 mission with operations teams and the highest-fidelity hardware. Boeing will continue supporting NASA’s post-test reviews and has submitted all OFT-2 verification and validation paperwork. All actions recommended by the Boeing/NASA Joint Independent Review Team as a result of Starliner’s first test flight are complete and pending closure.
Boeing is committed to safely and sustainably transporting crew and cargo to and from low Earth orbit destinations. Boeing is flying the OFT-2 mission at no cost to NASA or the taxpayer to demonstrate confidence in the Starliner vehicle and showcase the integrated team’s operational excellence ahead of crewed flight. -
#306 by SMS on 06 May, 2021 17:29
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https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1390354415698186249
Boeing completes end-to-end rehearsal of second Starliner flight
Team flies simulated Orbital Flight Test-2 mission to the International Space Station
May 06, 2021 in Space
Boeing and NASA recently completed an integrated mission dress rehearsal of Starliner’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 mission to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The campaign conducted largely inside Boeing’s Houston-based Avionics and Software Integration Lab (ASIL) culminated in a five-day end-to-end mission simulation known as the ASIL Mission Rehearsal, or AMR.
Mission operations teams inside flight control rooms at Johnson Space Center commanded the simulation using actual flight procedures. The run for record began 26 hours before launch and continued through docking, ISS quiescent operations, 32 hours of power up procedures ahead of undocking, then landing and power down.
“This rehearsal was extremely valuable,” said John Vollmer, Starliner vice president and program manager. “It provided another opportunity to run the software end to end with the highest-fidelity hardware and mission controllers in the loop to simulate as close to an actual flight as possible.”
NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Mike Fincke monitored every dynamic event from inside the lab using crew displays connected to the simulator. Wilmore and Fincke will fly aboard Starliner’s Crew Flight Test along with NASA astronaut Nicole Mann. Launch control teams at Boeing’s Mission Control Center in Florida participated in the rehearsal along with United Launch Alliance (ULA) which supported onsite in Houston after testing Starliner’s hardware inside its own Denver-based integration lab earlier this year.
“We essentially flew our next mission on the ground and that takes a lot of work,” said AMR test conductor Evan Platt. “We spent months upgrading our lab, working closely with our partners from ULA and NASA to make sure we had the right hardware and software configurations, and then successfully ran the simulation for 110 consecutive hours.”
Gearing up for the program’s first AMR took several months of preparation configuring hardware and software, routing communications channels, mapping simulated sensor data, verifying flight procedures, and completing weeks of dry runs. When winter storms in Houston caused power outages and network connectivity issues late in the campaign timeline, the team worked through the disruptions.
“I can feel that on the NASA/Boeing team, there is a deep passion for spaceflight and doing what it takes to have a successful mission,” said NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. “I am glad to be on this team.”
Boeing will conduct an AMR before every future flight serving as an additional confidence and integration test recommended by the NASA/Boeing Joint Independent Review Team as a result of Starliner’s first test flight. With the conclusion of AMR, all the review team’s recommended actions relating to Starliner software are complete and pending closure by NASA. Boeing and NASA will continue supporting post-test reviews and updating the software to include lessons learned from the AMR campaign.
“Software is constantly evolving,” Platt said. “We’ll likely make changes to the software and flight procedures after every AMR, just like we will after every actual mission to keep building upon the system’s capabilities and implement even better ways of operating.”
NASA and Boeing are targeting 2:53 pm EDT Friday, July 30, for the launch of Starliner’s next test flight, OFT-2.
“We’re feeling very confident in the software with the success of end-to-end testing,” Vollmer said. “This campaign is about more than just our next mission. We’re working to ensure the safety and success of all future Starliner flights for NASA and every commercial customer to come.”
Photos credit: Boeing
1) NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Mike Fincke, who will fly aboard Starliner’s Crew Flight Test mission, monitor the launch portion of Boeing’s simulated Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.
2) Starliner vice president and program manager, John Vollmer, watches the docking portion of Boeing’s simulated Orbital Flight Test-2 mission with other senior leaders and software integrators inside the company’s Avionics and Software Integration Lab in Houston, Texas.
3) Starliner flight directors Bob Dempsey and Edward Van Cise operate a simulated Orbital Flight Test-2 rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station from inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
4) Test conductor, Evan Platt, coordinates with mission management teams during a simulated end-to-end rehearsal of Starliner’s upcoming flight.
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#307 by SMS on 06 May, 2021 17:55
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#308 by Joseph Peterson on 07 May, 2021 01:36
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SpaceNews article: https://spacenews.com/starliner-test-flight-scheduled-for-july-30/Quote
NASA and Boeing have scheduled a second uncrewed test flight of the CST-100 Starliner commercial crew spacecraft for July 30.
In separate statements, the agency and the company said they were planning to launch the Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 at 2:53 p.m. Eastern July 30 on the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) 2 mission. A launch that day would allow the spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station on the evening of July 31.
The new launch date comes after NASA and Boeing completed an “integrated mission dress rehearsal” for the mission using a simulator at a Boeing facility in Houston. The five-day simulation covered activities starting 26 hours before launch and going through landing, including docking and undocking from the station. -
#309 by FutureSpaceTourist on 07 May, 2021 15:08
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Missed this yesterday:
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1390382099576803331QuoteOne note from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel meeting: the panel says that NASA and Boeing have agreed to start a long-awaited organizational safety assessment, stemming from the Starliner OFT test.
I don’t think completing this is a pre-requisite for OFT2, but I believe it is for CFT. -
#310 by deadman1204 on 04 Jun, 2021 15:51
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#311 by Lars-J on 04 Jun, 2021 16:24
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#312 by snotis on 11 Jun, 2021 22:05
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Quote
What a beauty! The Centaur second stage is in the Delta Operations Center (DOC) ready for processing for our next #AtlasV launch, @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner OFT-2 mission to the @Space_Station, scheduled for July 30. https://t.co/VIynIdVS23
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1403064630889623554 -
#313 by FutureSpaceTourist on 16 Jun, 2021 15:20
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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-and-boeing-progress-toward-july-launch-of-second-starliner-flight-testQuote
Jun 16, 2021
NASA and Boeing Progress Toward July Launch of Second Starliner Flight Test
NASA and Boeing are continuing preparations ahead of Starliner’s second uncrewed flight to prove the system can safely carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Teams inside the Starliner production factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently began fueling the Starliner crew module and service module in preparation for launch of Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at 2:53 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 30. The fueling operations are expected to complete this week as teams load propellant inside the facility’s Hazardous Processing Area and perform final spacecraft checks.
Once fueling operations are complete, teams from Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) will prepare to transport Starliner to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for mating with ULA’s Atlas V rocket. Beginning this week, ULA will begin stacking, or assembling, the Atlas V rocket at the VIF during an operation called Launch Vehicle on Stand (or LVOS).
In preparation for Starliner’s next flight, NASA and Boeing have closed all actions recommended by the joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team, which was formed as a result of Starliner’s first test flight in December 2019. The review team’s recommendations included items relating to integrated testing and simulations, processes and operational improvements, software requirements, crew module communication system improvements, and organizational changes. Boeing has implemented all recommendations, even those that were not mandatory, ahead of Starliner’s upcoming flight.
“I am extremely proud of the NASA and Boeing Starliner teams as they methodically work toward the OFT-2 mission next month with final checks of the crew module and service module hardware and software as we prepare for this important uncrewed test mission,” said Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager. “Closing all of the Independent Review Team findings for the software and communications systems is a huge milestone for the Commercial Crew Program and included many long hours of testing and reviews by our dedicated Boeing and NASA teams during this Covid-19 pandemic.”
In the weeks ahead, mission control teams in Florida and Texas will continue conducting simulated mission dress rehearsals for the uncrewed OFT-2 and follow-on crewed missions. Starliner’s landing and recovery teams also will perform an on-site checkout of one of the vehicle’s landing zones.
During the OFT-2 mission, Starliner will test its unique vision-based navigation system to autonomously dock with the space station and deliver approximately 440 pounds, or roughly 200 kilograms, of cargo and crew supplies for NASA. Starliner is expected to spend five to 10 days in orbit before undocking and returning to Earth, touching down on land in the western United States.
Providing Starliner’s second uncrewed mission meets all necessary objectives, NASA and Boeing will look for opportunities toward the end of this year to fly Starliner’s first crewed mission, the Crew Flight Test (CFT), to the space station with NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Nicole Mann, and Mike Fincke on board.
Boeing currently is refurbishing the first Orbital Flight Test crew module for crewed flight along with outfitting a brand new service module. The CFT Atlas V hardware is expected to arrive in Florida for processing next week as teams prepare for both missions in parallel.
Boeing has designed and developed the Starliner spacecraft in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to provide safe and sustainable commercial transportation services for crew and cargo to the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit destinations.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with industry through a public-private partnership to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station, which will allow for additional research time and will increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration. The space station remains the springboard to space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
Last Updated: Jun 16, 2021
Editor: Linda Herridge
Photo captions:QuoteTechnicians prepare Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for the company’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 2, 2021. Part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, OFT-2 is a critical developmental milestone on the company’s path to fly crew missions for NASA.
Credits: BoeingQuoteThe Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to be flown on Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is seen in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 2. Part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, OFT-2 is a critical developmental milestone on the company’s path to fly crew missions for NASA.
Credits: Boeing
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#314 by FutureSpaceTourist on 23 Jun, 2021 17:22
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http://www.boeing.com/features/2021/06/rosie-rides-again.pageQuote
Rosie rides again
“Rosie the Rocketeer,” Boeing’s anthropometric test device, will be strapped into the Starliner for its second Orbital Flight Test — this time to help the spacecraft maintain its center of gravity throughout the various phases of the flight.
June 23, 2021 in Space, Technology
The countdown is on for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner second Orbital Flight Test, or OFT-2. Targeted for July 30, the uncrewed flight is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:53 p.m. Eastern time — but the capsule won’t be empty. “Rosie the Rocketeer,” Boeing’s anthropometric test device, will be reclaiming the commander’s seat for the test flight to and from the International Space Station.
“She is a 180 pound test device in European tan that is meant to represent the 50th percentile of human dimensions in height and weight,” said Melanie Weber, the subsystem lead for Crew and Cargo Accommodations on the Commercial Crew Program. “Rosie’s first flight provided hundreds of data points about what astronauts will experience during flight, but this time she’ll help maintain Starliner’s center of gravity during ascent, docking, undocking and landing.”
“Even the car you drive must maintain its center of gravity or it could rollover,” Weber said.
For OFT-2, spacecraft data capture ports previously connected to Rosie’s 15 sensors will be used to collect data from sensors placed along the seat pallet, which is the infrastructure that holds all the crew seats in place.
“While Rosie provided us critical insight into how much force her body experienced in the commander seat during the first OFT mission, these new sensors will capture data to characterize the motion of all four crew seats,” said Dan Niedermaier, crew module chief engineer. “Generally, all seat locations behave similarly; however, there are small differences that our engineers want to validate to ensure everyone gets a nice, enjoyable ride.”
Wearing her Boeing blue spacesuit and red polka dot head scarf, teams recently strapped Rosie securely into her seat. Rosie the Rocketeer is named after World War II’s Rosie the Riveter as an ode to the women who have blazed a trail in aerospace and human spaceflight. During this flight, she will even be wearing a matching face mask that was hand-sewn by 95-year-old Mae Krier. Krier is a real-life Rosie who helped build planes in a Boeing factory in Seattle when she was 17 years old.
“Women in aerospace have made great strides, and hopefully Rosie will inspire more to enter the industry,” Weber said. “It is absolutely important to include all people in this field to make sure our services and products accommodate all people. We only become stronger when we have diverse perspectives.”
Weber made history as the first woman and first Hispanic to lead operations at a launch pad during the Starliner’s first Orbital Flight Test. She looks forward to seeing Rosie again when the spacecraft is moved to the Vertical Integration Facility to be mated with the ULA Atlas V rocket ahead of OFT-2. Prior to the move, the Starliner spacecraft, comprising the crew module and service module, will be loaded onto a weight and center of gravity machine in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center to ensure Rosie and the cargo are properly balanced.
“We are all excited to see Rosie in the Starliner again because she symbolizes our bigger goal of safely and reliably transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station,” Weber said.
Following a successful OFT-2 mission, NASA and Boeing are targeting late 2021 for the Crew Flight Test, which will be Starliner’s first flight with astronauts on board.
By Dee Russell
First image caption:QuoteWearing her Boeing blue spacesuit and red polka-dot head scarf, teams strapped the anthropometric test device securely into the commander seat.
Second image caption:QuoteThe Starliner anthropometric test device, Rosie the Rocketeer, will wear a hand-sewn Rosie-themed COVID-19 mask and an autographed Rosie scarf during the capsule’s upcoming Orbital Flight Test 2, or OFT-2.
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#315 by FutureSpaceTourist on 24 Jun, 2021 14:16
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Not official, but maybe more realistic?
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1408062623124361226
QuoteLast week NASA said if "Starliner’s second uncrewed mission meets all necessary objectives, NASA and Boeing will look for opportunities toward the end of this year to fly Starliner’s first crewed mission." A good source says that is optimistic, and 2Q-3Q of 2022 is more likely.
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1408064738718744579Quotebusiness quarters. so late spring, summer, or fall.
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#316 by ChrisGebhardt on 26 Jun, 2021 16:09
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Round-up of where we are with this mission....
https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1408819210487222273
[FST Edit, direct article link: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/06/starliner-oft2-perparations/] -
#317 by FutureSpaceTourist on 07 Jul, 2021 15:02
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https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1412788554216976386Quote
Thank you, #Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and @AstroIronMike for giving the team a pep talk before our Orbital Flight Test-2! Our team is ready for this important milestone on the path to crewed flight, and your visit was a great inspiration to them.
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#318 by hoku on 09 Jul, 2021 15:54
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ISS getting ready ...
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Wednesday, July 21, for Crew Dragon Endeavour’s International Space Station port relocation operation. Kimbrough, McArthur, Hoshide Pesquet will suit up in their launch and entry spacesuits for Crew Dragon’s automated relocation maneuver from the forward to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The maneuver frees up the forward port to prepare for the arrival of NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission at the microgravity laboratory at the end of July.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/07/08/dragon-undocking-planned-thursday-crew-focuses-on-space-research/ -
#319 by Ronsmytheiii on 15 Jul, 2021 11:43
