Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test 2: Live updates

NASA, Boeing prelaunch information conerence right now

NASA and Boeing will maintain a prelaunch information convention right now, Might 17, at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) to debate launch plans for Boeing’s OFT-2 Starliner take a look at flight to the Worldwide House Station and you’ll watch it stay on-line. 

The press convention might be carried stay on NASA TV and you’ll watch the briefing on the Space.com homepage at begin time. Talking within the convention might be: 

• Steve Stich, supervisor, NASA’s Industrial Crew Program
• Dana Weigel, deputy supervisor, NASA’s Worldwide House Station Program
• Mark Nappi, vp and program supervisor, Boeing Industrial Crew Program
• Gary Wentz, vp, Authorities and Industrial Packages, ULA
• Will Ulrich, launch climate officer, U.S. House Power, 45th Climate Squadron, House Launch Delta 45

Boeing’s Starliner OFT-2 mission is scheduled to launch on an Atlas V rocket on Might 19 from Cape Canaveral House Power Station in Florida. Liftoff is ready for six:54 p.m. EDT (2254 GMT). 

The mission is an uncrewed take a look at flight to the Worldwide House Station to show out the Starliner spacecraft’s programs forward of a crewed business flight for NASA.

Starliner is ‘go’ for Might 19 launch to house station

NASA has cleared Boeing’s Starliner capsule for a deliberate Might 19 launch on Orbital Flight Check-2 (OFT-2), a vital uncrewed mission to the International Space Station.

The choice got here after a prolonged flight readiness overview on Wednesday (Might 11). Learn extra here.

OFT-2 was initially purported to launch in August 2021, however technicians found that 13 of the 24 oxidizer valves within the capsule’s propulsion system had been caught. Diagnosing and troubleshooting this issue ended taking about eight months.

Starliner will return to the manufacturing facility for troubleshooting

Boeing’s Starliner is heading again to the processing facility for extra checks, and the OFT-2 mission remains to be delayed indefinitely.

“We have decided #Starliner will return to our manufacturing facility for deeper-level troubleshooting of 4 propulsion system valves. With @NASA, we have determined to face down for this launch window to make method for different nationwide precedence missions,” Boeing tweeted right now. You possibly can read the full update from Boeing here. 

Starliner OFT-2 replace coming right now

NASA and Boeing are holding a information convention right now at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) to debate the newest delays of the Starliner OFT-2 mission. You possibly can listen to the teleconference live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.

Learn extra: Stuck valves on Boeing’s Starliner keep critical space station test flight on hold

Again inside for Starliner

Boeing’s Starliner atop its United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket has rolled again into the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral House Power Station to permit technicians to proceed troubleshooting a glitch that interfered with Tuesday’s scheduled launch. Read more.

Boeing postpones launch indefinitely

Boeing has determined to step again from the Wednesday (Aug. four) launch goal for Starliner after discovering a valve within the propulsion system in an improper place and never with the ability to rapidly establish the reason for the anomaly.

“We’ll let the info lead our work,” John Vollmer, vp and program supervisor for Boeing’s Industrial Crew Program, stated in a statement. “Our crew has labored diligently to make sure the protection and success of this mission, and we is not going to launch till our car is performing nominally and our groups are assured it is able to fly.”

Learn our story in regards to the indefinite launch delay here.

Launch is scrubbed

Per Boeing’s Twitter: “We’re confirming right now’s #Starliner Orbital Flight Check-2 launch is scrubbed. Extra particulars quickly.”

Countdown enters deliberate maintain

Starliner’s Atlas V rocket has simply entered a deliberate four-hour maintain at T-minus 4 minutes earlier than launch, United Launch Alliance reports on Twitter. The prolonged maintain is to simulate the procedures earlier than an astronaut crew enters the spacecraft. Whereas that is not taking place right now (this launch is an uncrewed take a look at), ULA says it plans to simulate crew ingress procedures throughout Orbital Check Flight-2.

Launch forecast at 50 %

United Launch Alliance stories that the climate forecast stands at 50-50 for the time of the Atlas V launch with Boeing’s Starliner on board, at 1:20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT). That stated, the present climate has “no menace of lightning for the Blue Group’s entrance into the launch pad and for his or her work” at Cape Canaveral House Power Station, ULA said on Twitter.

Fueling full

United Launch Alliance despatched a Twitter update informing that the fuelling of the Atlas V rocket is full. The corporate says the rocket is to this point on observe to launch on time at 1:20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT), though in fact that may also rely on climate.

Launch preparations proceed

Launch is coming quickly! United Launch Alliance personnel are busy filling the rocket’s first stage with gas about 5 hours earlier than lift-off.

NASA astronauts are excited for the launch

NASA astronauts cannot wait to see Starliner fly right now. The mission marks a vital milestone earlier than they and their colleagues will be capable of give the capsule a spin for themselves. Read more.

Atlas V and Starliner are “now in launch place”

The Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft returned to the launch pad early this morning after ready out the launch delay contained in the Vertical Integration Facility. See photos of their second rollout here. 

“Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is now in launch place on House Launch Advanced 41 at Cape Canaveral House Power Station in Florida,” Boeing said in an update. “The Starliner, which is mated to the highest of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, rolled to the launch pad on prepare tracks at a pace of about 1 mph from the Vertical Integration Facility, situated about 1 mile from the launch website.”

You possibly can preview the OFT-2 mission in a new video animation under:

Again out to the pad!

After spending the weekend inside in case of unhealthy climate, Starliner and its Atlas V rocket at the moment are headed again out to the launch pad in preparation for tomorrow’s flight.

Climate forecast: 60% go for launch

Meteorologists with the U.S. House Power’s 45th Climate Squadron at the moment are predicting a 60% likelihood of favorable climate for liftoff on Tuesday.

“The first climate issues for launch day are the cumulus cloud rule, lightning rule and thick cloud rule violations in the course of the instantaneous launch window,” NASA officers wrote in an update.

Forecasting launch day’s climate

Will unhealthy climate intrude with Tuesday’s launch? Possibly, or the rocket might blast off earlier than the storms roll in. Read more.

OFT-2 in photos

Whereas we wait out the launch delay, try the total story of OFT-2 in images with this gallery.

Starliner heads again inside

With launch delayed to no sooner than Tuesday (Aug. three) and unhealthy climate anticipated to hit the House Coast, the Starliner capsule and its Atlas V rocket headed off the launch pad for shelter. Read more here.

New launch date introduced

NASA officers introduced throughout a information convention that Starliner will now goal launch on Tuesday (Aug. three) at 1:20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT). If that launch date holds, the capsule will arrive on the Worldwide House Station on Wednesday (Aug. four). Read more.

Starliner launch delayed

NASA and Boeing have delayed Friday’s deliberate launch of the uncrewed Starliner OFT-2 mission and are establishing a brand new launch date, in response to a NASA statement. The delay comes after Russia’s Nauka module briefly tilted the Worldwide House Station by firing its thrusters in an unplanned maneuver which you could examine here.

We’ll replace with a brand new launch date as quickly as attainable.

“Success in spaceflight is achieved by tens of millions of components coming collectively and dealing in excellent concord,” Boeing officers wrote in a statement in regards to the delay. “That is the character of our enterprise, and that requires persistence. We stand able to launch the CST-100 Starliner when the time is true, as we help NASA on the Worldwide House Station.”

Starliner and Atlas V roll out

ULA’s 172-foot (52 meters) Atlas V rocket, with Starliner secured on high, left the Vertical Integration Facility right now (July 29) and rolled out to its launch pad, House Launch Advanced 41 at Cape Canaveral House Power Station in Florida. Learn our rollout story here.

L-1 Day!

What is the massive cope with this launch? Don’t fret, we have got you coated. Take a look at a deep dive on Boeing’s bumpy ride to the launchpad and brush up on every aspect of the mission, from what’s on board to what comes subsequent.

Starliner spends yet one more night time on the VIF

Boeing simply shared a brand new photograph of its Starliner spacecraft contained in the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral House Power Station because the Atlas V rocket awaits its delayed rollout to the launchpad, now scheduled for eight a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) tomorrow (Thursday, July 29). 

“Storms rolled in, so Starliner didnt roll out,” Boeing tweeted right now. “#Starliner and #AtlasV are secure within the @ulalaunch Vertical Integration Facility and able to roll tomorrow morning.”

Atlas V rocket rollout delayed

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Boeing had initially deliberate to move the Atlas V rocket for the OFT-2 mission to the launchpad this morning, however the rollout has been postponed till Thursday (July 29), starting at eight a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). 

“The delay is because of an web service supplier outage that might not be resolved earlier than the onset of predicted climate exceeding operational constraints. The OFT-2 launch, deliberate for Friday, July 30, at 2:53 p.m. EDT, stays on observe,” NASA officers wrote in a blog post. 

Talking of climate, at the moment the forecast is trying solely 40% favorable for Starliner’s deliberate launch on Saturday. “Right now, the chance of violation stays at 60%, with the first issues being the Cumulus Cloud, Floor Electrical Fields, and Lightning Guidelines,” the U.S. House Power’s 45th Weather Squadron stated within the newest climate replace. 

Boeing’s plan for the flight

Compensate for the plan for Starliner’s second uncrewed launch with this video from Boeing.

Starliner OFT-2 prelaunch briefing begins now!

NASA and Boeing are about to start right now’s prelaunch information convention for the Starliner OFT-2 mission. The briefing begins at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), and you’ll watch that live here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV. 

Launch climate replace

The launch climate forecast for Friday’s deliberate launch of the Starliner OFT-2 mission at the moment predicts solely a 40% likelihood of acceptable circumstances for liftoff, in response to an replace from the U.S. House Power’s Space Launch Delta 45 Weather Squadron. 

NASA and Boeing officers will maintain a prelaunch information convention for OFT-2 tomorrow (July 27) at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT). You possibly can watch that live here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV. 

The CST-100 Starliner capsule has handed its flight readiness overview (FRR) for the upcoming liftoff, which can kick off the uncrewed Orbital Flight Check 2 (OFT-2) mission to the station, NASA and Boeing representatives introduced right now (July 22). Read the full story here.

Over the weekend, engineers mated the Starliner spacecraft to its Atlas V rocket, marking a key milestone forward of the mission’s launch subsequent week. See the photos here.