Significance of Boeing Starliner’s first crewed test flight on May 7

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Space

Tags: Space X, Soyuz, Being Satrliner

Context:

The Atlas V rocket launched with astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule, marking its first crewed test flight.
The mission, heading to the International Space Station,aims to establish the U.S. with two operational spacecraft for astronaut launches if successful.

Atlas V Rocket:

Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family.
Originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
It is used for DoD (Department. Of Defense), NASA, and Commercial payloads.
It is America’s longest-serving active rocket.

Dragon capsule of SpaceX:

The Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth orbit, and beyond.
It is the only spacecraft currently flying that is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth, and is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station.

Soyuz spacecraft of Russia:

It is a series of spacecraft which has been in service since the 1960s. It was designed for the Soviet space program by the Korolev Design Bureau (now Energia).
The Soyuz succeeded the Voskhod spacecraft and was originally built as part of the Soviet crewed lunar programs.
It is launched on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Between the 2011 retirement of the Space Shuttle and the 2020 demo flight of SpaceX Crew Dragon, the Soyuz served as the only means to ferry crew to or from the International Space Station, for which it remains heavily used.
Although China did launch crewed Shenzhou flights during this time, none of them docked with the ISS.

What is Boeing Starliner?

The Boeing Starliner is a spacecraft designed to transport astronauts to space.
It includes a crew capsule, where astronauts reside and which can withstand reentry to Earth, and a service module equipped with life support systems and engines.
While the crew capsule is reusable, the service module is not.
It is more than 4 m wide and can house up to seven astronauts. It can be fit atop an Atlas V rocket.
Purpose:
- To transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), serving as an alternative to SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and Russia’s Soyuz, which were the only means of transport after NASA’s Space Shuttle program ended in 2011.
Significance:
- Since the introduction of the 737 Max 8 in 2017,Boeing has faced severe challenges due to two fatal crashes involving the aircraft, attributed to flaws in its Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and insufficient pilot training.
  - MCAS is a flight control law implemented on the 737 MAX to improve aircraft handling characteristics and decrease pitch-up tendency at elevated angles of attack.
- Thus, a successful Starliner flight is vital for regaining stakeholder confidence and demonstrating Boeing’s capability in spacecraft technology amidst ongoing difficulties in its aviation sector.

International Space Station (ISS):

ISS is the largest man-made object in space launched on November 20, 1998. It serves as a habitat for astronauts in space.Since 2011, the ISS has been continuously inhabited.
Participating States: ISS is a collaborative project of the United States (NASA), Russia’s (Roscosmos), Europe’s (ESA), Japan’s (JAXA), and Canada’s (CSA) space agencies.
Orbit: The International Space Station is in orbit about 400 kilometres above Earth.
Speed: It travels around Earth at a speed of about 28,000 kilometres per hour. This means that it orbits Earth about every 90 minutes.
Objectives: To expand our knowledge about space and microgravity and promote new scientific research. It also serves as an example of international cooperation.

Source: TH