STARLINER - ORBITAL FLIGHT TEST 2

Space Launch Complex 41 - Credit: NASA

LAUNCH TIME	May 20, 2022 - 00:54:44
LAUNCH PROVIDER	United Launch Alliance (ULA)
COSTUMER	Boeing
ROCKET	Atlas V N22
LAUNCH SITE	Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral, Florida
PAYLOAD MASS	13,200 kg
DESTINATION	International Space Station
LANDING SITE	The first stage will crash into the Atlantic ocean
WEATHER	-

ULA will launch the second test mission of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft after the first mission failed due to a problem with the spacecraft's onboard clock.

This will be the second launch attempt for the mission after last August interrupted by service module's valve problems.

The objectives of the mission

For the OFT-2 mission, the Starliner will demonstrate autonomous rendezvous, docking, and undocking capabilities with the ISS. The expected duration of the mission is 6 groups, 5 of which spent docked at the ISS. After returning to the atmosphere, the spacecraft will land at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The Atlas V N22 rocket

The N22 configuration of the Atlas V - Credit: ULA

The Atlas V is a non-reusable two-stage launch vehicle built and operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA).

The booster The booster has a diameter of 3.8m and is 32.5m high. Powered by an RD-180 engine (with dual thrust chambers) running on RP-1 (highly purified kerosene) and liquid oxygen, the engine provides 3830kN of thrust. Two solid rocket thrusters (SRBs) generate the additional power required at takeoff, each providing 1600 kN of thrust.

The Second stage The second Centaur stage has a diameter of 3m and a length of 12.6m. Centaur is powered by two RL10A-4-2 engines that produce 99.1 kN of thrust and use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to operate.

The Centaur stage and Starliner in space - Credit: ULA

CST-100 Starliner

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is a reusable human transportation capsule to the ISS, or low earth orbit (LEO), designed by Boeing for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Although it is paired with an Atlas V for the OFT-2 mission, it is also compatible with the Delta IV, Falcon 9 and Vulcan Centaur rockets.

The Starliner prior to integration with the Atlas V N22 rocket (May 2022) - Credit: NASA

The crew module The crew module has a diameter of 4.56 med and is capable of accommodating a crew of up to seven people (four on NASA missions). The crew module is the only part that will survive the reentry.

The Service Module The service module is where the propellant tanks and thrusters for orbital maneuvers, solar panels and launch abort motors are located. The abortion system consists of four Areojet Rocketdyne RS-88 engines.

The live stream will begin approximately one hour before lift off: