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NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2

July 28, 2021
By WeatherBug's Ali Husain
NASA and Boeing are taking another huge step towards regular launches of American rockets from American soil to the International Space Station (ISS) with the second uncrewed flight test of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.

The launch, upon a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is scheduled for liftoff at 2:53 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 30 from Space Launch Complex-41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Starliner is expected to dock with the ISS about 24 hours later with more than 400 pounds of cargo.

This mission will test the capabilities of Starliner in all phases, from launch to docking at the ISS, and then from atmospheric re-entry to a desert landing in the western United States. The mission will provide plenty of data to certify the safety of this system for future transport of astronauts to and from the ISS.

Starliner will also test its vision-based navigational system to automatically dock with the ISS. Docking is expected to take place at 3:06 p.m. on Saturday, July 31st.

After docking, Starliner will remain attached to the space station for five to 10 days, before returning home with about 500 pounds of cargo, including reusable Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) tanks that are used to provide breathable air to astronauts aboard the ISS.

Orbital Flight Test-2, or OFT-2, is the second test flight of Boeing’s Starliner, with the goal of proving that the Starliner system meets NASA’s requirements and is ready to fly astronauts.

With a successful test flight, this will open the door for more science and commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit and aboard the ISS. With the ISS serving as the springboard for NASA’s next missions, including a return to the moon and missions to Mars, the future looks bright for space travel.

Credit: NASA
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Story Image:  The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on July 17, 2021.