NASA has announced the names of the two astronauts who will leave aboard the CST-100 Starliner capsule for its manned flight test. Unsurprisingly, the program executives were chosen.
After many difficulties and a significant delay on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the horizon is finally clearing up for Boeing, which recently passed the unmanned flight test of its capsule.
No surprises
The capsule pilot will be Sunita Williams, a veteran astronaut who has made two trips to space. She will be accompanied by Barry Wilmore, who has already accumulated 178 days in space and will take the role of commander during Starliner’s test mission, dubbed Crew Flight Test (CFT).
The two astronauts will thus join the International Space Station and should remain approximately two weeks in space, although the mission can be extended up to six months in the event of unforeseeable events. The CFT mission is to demonstrate the ability of the Boeing capsule to safely perform operational crewed missions to and from the space station.
Astronaut Mike Fincke, who has made three space trips, was chosen as a backup in case of problems with Williams or Wilmore. If all goes according to plan and he does not participate in the test mission, then he should command the first long-duration mission aboard Starliner.
For the time being, NASA has not communicated a date for the launch, which will be operated by an Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The CFT mission should still take place by the end of 2022.
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NASA orders five more Crew Dragon flights for its astronauts
Source : NASA
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