Why is the launch of Boeing’s Starliner significant?

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Space

Context:

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, carrying two NASA astronauts, will be launched by an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday.

More on news:

This will be Starliner’s first crewed test flight.
If the mission is successful, Boeing will become the second private firm to be able to provide NASA crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

What is Boeing’s Starliner?

Starliner is a partially reusable crew capsule, officially known as CST-100 (crew space transportation).
The capsule, which is 5 m tall and 4.6 m wide, consists of two modules.
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.
It is more than 4 m wide and can house up to seven astronauts.
It can be fitted atop an Atlas V rocket.
The crew module can be reused up to 10 times, with a six-month turnaround.

What is the mission?

The main objective of the mission is to see how Starliner performs in space with a crew onboard.
It is supposed to dock with the ISS — a day after the launch — for around 10 days before it returns to the Earth.
The crew members will test flying it manually.
The crew will also test seats, assess onboard life-support and navigation systems, as well as evaluate the system that moves cargo into the ISS.
The space suits will also be tested as these blue suits are around 40% lighter than their predecessors and have touchscreen-sensitive gloves.
During the return journey, NASA and Boeing will be keeping an eye on the spacecraft’s heat shield and parachutes.
They will slow the descent before airbags open to soften the moment of impact with the ground — unlike other crew capsules, Starliner will land on the ground and not in the sea.

Why is the mission significant?

The mission’s success is crucial for both NASA and Boeing.
Currently, NASA has only one private company, SpaceX, which can take its astronauts and cargo to the ISS.
Starliner getting approval for conducting routine flights to and from the ISS would give NASA a backup and option to not depend on one company or vehicle for space launches.

About 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.

About 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.
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.
The International Space Station is in orbit about 400 kilometers above Earth.
It travels around Earth at a speed of about 28,000 kilometers 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.

About SpaceX:

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launch service provider, defense contractor and satellite communications company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and ultimately developing a sustainable colony on Mars.

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.