CST-100 Starliner (Orbital Flight Test) - Atlas V N22 (AV-080) - CCAFS SLC-41 - 20.12.2019, 11:36 UTC.

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 Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno 2 ч. назад

Busy day yesterday. Hooked up the huge ground wind dampener, got the ground hydraulics up and going, checked out avionics & batteries, and prepared for spacecraft mate. #OFT is coming...

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 Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno 12 мин. назад

Successful mission dress rehearsal yesterday, all the bottles and tanks installed or prepared, VJ lines are good. #OFT is coming

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Starliner roll out is planned for the early morning of Thursday, Nov. 21

Завтра на старт выкатывают

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https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-starliner-updates

OFT TEAM SIMULATES COUNTDOWN IN REHEARSAL

Nov. 20, 2019 -- The Mission Dress Rehearsal (MDR) was held yesterday to practice countdown scenarios for the upcoming launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its Orbital Flight Test (OFT).


Photo: United Launch Alliance

The simulation connected the United Launch Alliance teams at Cape Canaveral and in Denver with Boeing and NASA personnel at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the Air Force's 45th Space Wing at the Cape.

The MDR for OFT featured three phases to demonstrate different segments of the countdown while simulating problems for the teams to analyze and resolve.

Orchestrating the countdown was ULA Chief Launch Conductor Doug Lebo from his position in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center's Launch Control Center (LCC). He was joined by Assistant Launch Conductor Scott Barney, who operated the countdown clock and interfaced with Anomaly Chief David McFarland, leader of the problem-resolution process.

Situated in the Mission Director's Center (MDC) above the LCC was ULA Launch Director Bill Cullen, the person with the overall responsibility of launch operations and giving the final approval to launch. He was seated next to LeRoy Cain, Boeing's spacecraft mission director, who relayed Starliner's readiness status to Cullen.

And Flight Director Richard Jones in Houston joined in to rehearse his aspects in the countdown and launch as the person in charge of final spacecraft configuration for liftoff and managing all operations during ascent.

The bulk of the day was spent rehearsing the Blue Team's activities in the White Room at Space Launch Complex-41. ULA's Dane Drefke served as the Blue Team Leader and Boeing's Melanie Weber directed the steps that will be needed to prep Starliner's command module for flight and close the hatch.

After two practice runs, the day's third scenario focused on the last 30 minutes of the countdown including the final weather briefing from Launch Weather Officer Jessica Williams, the readiness polls of managers and engineers, Terminal Count and liftoff.

The MDR represents another milestone passed in the OFT launch campaign. It follows the completion of standard pre-flight testing of the Atlas V at the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) that has confirmed the rocket is ready for attachment of the Boeing Starliner capsule.

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 Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 27 мин. назад

Per a NASA email to media, #Starliner is tentatively set to roll out from the C3PF by the VAB and out to SLC-41 tomorrow, Thursday, for lift and mate operations with the @ulalaunch #AtlasV.  #NASA notes that this date is subject to change "dependent on hardware & team readiness"

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2019/11/20/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-preparing-for-transport-to-launch-site/
https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2019/11/20/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-preparing-for-transport-to-launch-site/

Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Preparing for Transport to Launch Site

Linda Herridge
Posted Nov 20, 2019 at 3:46 pm


The CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to be flown on Boeing's Orbital Flight Test (OFT) is viewed Nov. 2, 2019, while undergoing launch preparations inside the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the OFT mission, the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft will fly to the International Space Station for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: Boeing

NASA and Boeing are preparing for the next step in NASA's Commercial Crew Program on Thursday, Nov. 21, as the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft begins its transport for integration on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket ahead of Boeing's uncrewed Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station.

During the operation, the fueled Starliner will be moved from Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy to ULA's Space Launch Complex 41 Vertical Integration Facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Later the same day, the spacecraft will be stacked on top of an Atlas V rocket for final processing ahead of the launch.

Boeing's uncrewed flight test, which is targeted for Dec. 17, will provide valuable data on the end-to-end performance of the rocket, spacecraft and ground systems, as well as, in-orbit and landing operations. The data will be used toward certification of Boeing's crew transportation system for carrying astronauts to and from the space station.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry through public-private partnerships to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011. The goal of the program is safe, reliable and cost-effective human space transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time aboard the station and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's testbed for exploration, which includes sending astronauts to the Moon and Mars.

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 Tory Bruno @torybruno 3 ч. назад

Uncapping in preparation for #Starliner mating tomorrow. #OFT is coming.

Video

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 Boeing Space‏ @BoeingSpace 5 ч. назад

We're ready to rocket and we're ready to roll it out!  The stars will be over #Starliner as we roll out of our @NASAKennedy factory in the early morning hours Thursday, 11/21, as the spacecraft heads to be mated to the #AtlasV for its @Commercial_Crew Orbital Flight Test.

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Boeing Space‏ @BoeingSpace 10 мин. назад

Good morning fr om @NASAKennedy wh ere we are at the #Starliner factory getting ready to roll the spacecraft over to Space Launch Complex 41 to be stacked on the @ulalaunch made #AtlasV!

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Boeing Space‏ @BoeingSpace 5 мин. назад

#Starliner's @Commercial_Crew astronaut team is rolling up to rollout with @Astro_Ferg in the @Airstream_Inc Crew Transport Vehicle, lovingly known as the Astrovan II.




2 мин. назад

All lined up and ready to go! Go #Starliner! Go #AtlasV!

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 Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 22 мин. назад

Boeing's Starliner crew capsule has emerged from its factory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It's heading to nearby launch pad 41 to meet its Atlas 5 rocket in preparation for its first unpiloted test flight to the space station. https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/11/21/starliner-oft-rollout/ ...

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Boeing Space‏ @BoeingSpace 3 мин. назад

Farewell, #Starliner! The spacecraft is on the way to @ulalaunch to be mated to the  #AtlasV!

Video


ULA‏ @ulalaunch 3 мин. назад

ULA's motorized KAMAG carrier that is transporting #Starliner to the #AtlasV assembly building also features portable environmental control to supply conditioned air to the capsule to ensure proper temperatures and humidity levels during today's move.


3 мин. назад

Now on its way, #Starliner is en route to Space Launch Complex-41 and the Vertical Integration Facility to meet #AtlasV. Top speed is 5 mph!

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Col. Mike Fincke‏ @AstroIronMike 1 ч. назад

Rocket and spacecraft are finally introduced.   Starliner and Atlas V.  Perfect match. @ulalaunch @BoeingSpace




ULA @ulalaunch 33 мин. назад

#Starliner has arrived at the Vertical Integration Facility where #AtlasV stands ready to receive its precious cargo this morning. The rocket and spacecraft are scheduled to launch Dec. 17 to the @Space_Station.

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ULA‏ @ulalaunch 9 мин. назад

The delicate hoisting of #Starliner is complete. Crews gently lifted the spacecraft from its ground transportation to place it atop the #AtlasV for the ride to space.




9 мин. назад

#Starliner being positioned for mating to the Launch Vehicle Adapter atop the Centaur upper stage. This LVA structure cradles the spacecraft during the 15-minute ascent by #AtlasV.

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 Tory Bruno @torybruno 4 мин. назад

Woohoo. #Starliner is mated to the Mighty Atlas. #OFT is getting closer...

Video

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https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-starliner-updates

STARLINER HOISTED ATOP ATLAS V FOR OFT LAUNCH

Nov. 21, 2019 -- Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft has been mounted atop its ride to space, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, in preparation for the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) to the International Space Station in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program next month.


Starliner departs the C3PF. Photo: United Launch Alliance

Early this morning, the capsule traveled from Boeing's Commercial Crew & Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at Kennedy Space Center to ULA's Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for hoisting atop the waiting Atlas V.

Celebrations marked the rollout after years of design and manufacturing work to produce a 21st century spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from space.

ULA's motorized payload transporter, adapted to carry Starliner, moved at a top speed of 5 mph, heading from the former space shuttle hangar eastward to the beach and then southward to Space Launch Complex-41.

The KAMAG deck also held the In-Transport Payload Air Conditioning (ITPAC) to provide environmental controls to the spacecraft during the move.

Approaching the VIF, the KAMAG maneuvered up to the 30-story-tall building's doorway and parked. A four-point lifting sling, called the Handling Fixture Hoist Tool (HFHT), was connected to the Starliner for the overhead crane to carefully raise the capsule onto the Atlas V waiting inside the VIF aboard its Mobile Launch Platform (MLP).

Starliner was positioned for mating to the Launch Vehicle Adapter (LVA) that serves as the spacecraft's cradle atop the rocket during ascent. The LVA also features the aeroskirt structure that smooths the air over the combined payload and Atlas V for aerodynamic stability.


Starliner hoisted atop Atlas. Photo: NASA

Accommodations for Starliner in the VIF include a Class 100,000 clean enclosure to enter the capsule's crew module through the hatchway, access stands for technicians to detach the lift sling and complete preflight work to the craft's exterior, power and data transmission umbilicals, plus purge and cooling lines.

The joining of rocket and payload is a major milestone before any launch, and today's event underscores that OFT is a key step closer to launch.

Next up is the Integrated Systems Test, a tip-to-tail electrical check of the 172-foot-tall Atlas V and Starliner stack to verify all elements are communicating properly.

That will clear the way for IDOLT, or Integrated Day-of-Launch Test, to rehearse all aspects of the Atlas V countdown.

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/boeing-cst-100-starliner-takes-next-step-for-orbital-flight-test

Nov. 21, 2019

Boeing CST-100 Starliner Takes Next Step for Orbital Flight Test


The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is guided into position above a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 21, 2019.
Credits: NASA/Cory Huston


The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolls out from the company's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Credits: Boeing


A transporter carrying the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

By Linda Herridge
NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft that will launch to the International Space Station on the company's uncrewed Orbital Flight Test for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) has taken a significant step toward launch. Starliner rolled out of Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, making the trek on a transport vehicle to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

"This is critical to our future as a nation," said Kennedy's center director Bob Cabana. "We've got to get astronauts flying on U.S rockets from U.S. soil, and this is just a huge step forward."

Cabana was joined by CCP and Boeing leaders in a gathering of employees and families to watch Starliner roll out of the factory.

"For the team that has built the first American spacecraft designed to land on land, and to get it rolling out, is absolutely incredible," said John Mulholland, Vice President and Program Manager of Boeing Commercial Crew Programs. "Something this complex takes a huge team."

"Look at that amazing sight and what your success looks like," said Kathy Lueders, NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager. "We're not done yet. We've got to step into the mission carefully, fly this vehicle up to the space station, and bring it home safely."

At the pad, Starliner was hoisted up at the Vertical Integration Facility and secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for the flight test to the space station. The Atlas V rocket that will carry Starliner comprises a booster stage and dual-engine Centaur upper stage, as well as a pair of solid rocket boosters.

NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson were on hand to witness the rollout milestone ahead of the uncrewed flight test.

"This is the dawn of a new era," said Ferguson. "For all of you youngsters out there who came out here early to watch, I'm glad you were a part of this. This is really important because this is your future, too."

"We're looking forward to the day when we're launching people on a regular basis," said Fincke. "As graduates of military test pilot schools, we are really excited to see how Starliner's going to behave; we know it's going to be awesome, and we're going to get all kinds of really great test data from it."

The uncrewed flight test, targeted to launch Dec. 17, will provide valuable data on the end-to-end performance of the Atlas V rocket, Starliner spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking and landing operations. The data will be used as part of NASA's process of certifying Boeing's crew transportation system for carrying astronauts to and from the space station.

"It comes down to trust," said Mann. "I'm talking about trust in the individuals—our fellow Americans—who are building this spacecraft and making this possible. You walk around the factory and there is this amazing attention to detail, and it gives you this great level of confidence," said Mann.

NASA is working in partnership with Boeing and SpaceX to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011. Safe, reliable and cost-effective human transportation to and from the space station will allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's testbed for exploration.

Last Updated: Nov. 22, 2019
Editor: Anna Heiney

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 Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 53 сек. назад

Boeing has named an anthropometric test dummy flying on the Starliner spacecraft's first space mission "Rosie the Astronaut" in honor of "Rosie the Riveter," an icon of World War II honoring the contributions of women in aircraft and armament factories. https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/11/21/starliner-oft-rollout/ ...

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Space to Ground: On A Roll: 11/22/2019

 NASA Johnson

22 нояб. 2019 г.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAnlxR50Uu4https://www.youtube.com/embed/WAnlxR50Uu4?feature=oembed (2:25)

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Boeing Starliner Rolls Out of the Factory, Is Mated on OFT Mission Atlas V

 Boeing

22 нояб. 2019 г.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYGn9tGZmgEhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/EYGn9tGZmgE (1:35)