Thruster testing and inspections on the ground lead to meaningful findings prior to Starliner’s return. With ground testing of a Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster complete and disassembly and inspections concluding, the Starliner team is reviewing data that will aid in future missions and pave the way for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams […]
Mission Updates
Starliner thruster ground testing complete, data reviews underway
Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now turning their attention to data reviews. The test objective was to observe thruster degradation so teams could get a better understanding of why some thrusters were deselected in-flight and what, if […]
CFT Commander Rates Starliner Handling of Manual Flying Tests
On the Starliner crew’s 35th day in space, Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore brought the focus back to day one. “Launch was spectacular! I mean, truly amazing,” Wilmore said. During the first press conference between Wilmore, pilot Suni Williams, and the media, he praised Starliner for its precision. “The spacecraft performed unbelievably well,” Wilmore […]
Starliner testing continues in space and on the ground to support future long-duration missions
Starliner crew enters fourth week on orbit while teams prepare for ground testing NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams climbed into Starliner at the International Space Station and worked with Boeing flight controllers and engineers on Tuesday, July 2, during power up of the spacecraft. The teams on-console in NASA’s Mission Control Center in […]
Starliner works “exceptionally well” as Safe Haven in real-life scenario
Week in Review: Starliner crew wraps up third week in space Wednesday started as any other morning on-orbit for Starliner’s maiden crew, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Their exercise routine was followed by organizing cargo inside the Permanent Multipurpose Module. But the nominal day quickly changed when a satellite broke apart at an altitude […]
NASA, Boeing Adjust Timeline for Starliner Return
NASA and Boeing leadership are adjusting the return to Earth of the Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft with agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station. The move off Wednesday, June 26, deconflicts Starliner’s undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time […]