The space capsule “Starliner” of the American aviation group Boeing took off on Thursday for a test flight. Atop an “Atlas V” rocket, she began the passenger-free journey to the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as seen on a live broadcast from the US space agency NASA.
If everything goes according to plan, it will dock at the ISS after more than 24 hours. On Thursday, a doll named “Rosie” sat in the commander’s chair. It is equipped with about 15 sensors designed to collect information about movements during the flight. The capsule also carries about 230 kilograms of supplies for the ISS, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 400 kilometers.
First test flight 2019 failed due to bad luck
The test flight is intended to show whether the capsule is safe for carrying astronauts. A first attempt failed in 2019. At that point, a catastrophe had nearly occurred and the spacecraft had to return to Earth prematurely without reaching the ISS. Another launch in 2021 was canceled at the last minute due to technical issues.
As a result, Boeing was overtaken by Tesla founder Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX, whose Dragon capsule regularly carries astronauts into space on behalf of NASA. However, NASA wants to diversify its means of transport so as not to risk re-dependence on Russian “Soyuz” capsules.
Thursday’s launch is therefore “a critical step” in having two carriers “carrying crews on a regular basis,” said Dana Weigel, deputy director of the NASA ISS program.
Manned mission planned for the end of the year
The stakes are high for Boeing. The airline group hopes to be able to perform its first manned flight by the end of the year. This second demonstration mission is essential to finally get approval from NASA.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
