Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) has once again faced a delay. The spacecraft involved in the test flight is known as the Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100), and it has been purposed to undertake an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is under the umbrella of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Key Features of CST-100
The CST-100 spacecraft has been uniquely designed to accommodate seven passengers or alternatively, a combination of crew and cargo for missions designated to low-Earth orbit. For the specific NASA service missions to the ISS, it is designed to carry up to four NASA-sponsored crew members and time-critical scientific research. Furthermore, the Starliner has the capacity to carry over 400 pounds of NASA cargo and crew supplies. It boasts an innovative, weldless structure and can be reused up to 10 times with a six-month turnaround time.
The Purpose of the Test Flight
Upon lift-off of this test flight, several aspects will be examined. The capabilities of the spacecraft will be tested from launch, docking, atmospheric re-entry to landing at a desert in the US. This spaceflight will play a crucial role in assisting NASA to ascertain and certify the transportation system for future transportation of astronauts to and from the space station.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
The primary objective of this program is to facilitate easier access to space with a budget-friendly approach. This would enable the efficient transport of both cargo and crew to and from the ISS, paving the way for greater scientific research. In a bid to lower costs, NASA intends to share these costs with commercial partners such as Boeing and SpaceX. It also aims to motivate these companies to design and build the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS), a program initiated by NASA in 2006.
Encouraging Private Companies
By advocating for private companies like Boeing and SpaceX to offer crew transportation services to and from low-Earth orbit, NASA is carving out time to focus on crafting spacecraft and rockets designed for exploration missions deep into space.
The Crew-2 Mission
The Crew-2 mission marks the second crew rotation of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, and notably, the first to include international partners. In May 2020, NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight embarked for the ISS carrying two astronauts. This test flight aimed to assess whether SpaceX capsules could be employed routinely to transport astronauts to and from the ISS.
Understanding the International Space Station (ISS)
The ISS is a habitable artificial satellite and registers as the single largest man-made structure in low Earth orbit. The ISS orbits the Earth roughly every 92 minutes, completing 15.5 circuits daily. It operates as a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. It serves as a microgravity lab where various experiments are conducted across fields like biology, physics, astronomy, and meteorology. Furthermore, long-term human presence in the ISS has created the longest continuous human presence in low earth orbit.
