More than a year after its failed first attempt, Boeing is all set to launch its Starliner to the International Space Station. This time the crew capsule will not have any humans on board. The launch is scheduled for July 30. The date was finalized after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration reviews the flight readiness. The capsule is set to from the Space Force’s Cape Canaveral Station and unless there is any unforeseen delay, the space agency will stick to the plan. The orbit will be launched with the help of the Atlas V rocket. In case the space agency has to postpone the flight, the next test would be attempted on August 3.
Through this test flight, NASA wants to conduct end-to-end capabilities of Starliner. This will help the US space agency understand all aspects of the capsule. The future course of action will depend on how perfectly it completes the trip to the ISS. This will include the launch, docking, and also re-entry into the atmosphere. This will help NASA get some valuable information and data that will eventually help it to certify the crew transportation system of Boeing. Once certified, Boeing will carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
After the successful test of flight, NASA will start preparing for the crewed test. Commenting on it, NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said that crewed flight would be possible later this year. Both NASA and the American aerospace company have invested a lot to make the launch successful. The space agency wants at least two capsules that can take its astronauts to the space station. At the moment, NASA is only dependent on Crew Dragon of SpaceX. “We should not depend on just one transportation system. The commercial crew program must have two space transportation systems. We are looking forward to having this in the near future,” Stich said.
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