Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft set for first-ever unpiloted test flight to the ISS this December – Daily Mail

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will embark on its first-ever unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station this DecemberAfter earlier delays, Boeing vies to reclaim place in race for private space flightA successful unmanned flight would clear the way for a manned flight in 2020The company is in direct competition with SpaceX, which launched its own unmanned flight to the ISS earlier this yearBy Michael Thomsen For Dailymail.com Published: 12:31 EDT, 14 October 2019 | Updated: 12:31 EDT, 14 October 2019 Boeing announced it will send launch a test flight of its Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station on December 17.The trip will see the Starliner, a craft designed specifically to shuttle astronauts to the ISS, launched on an Atlas V rocket, after which it will dock with the ISS and spend five days in orbit before returning to Earth.Before conducting the full launch, Boeing is currently testing the Starliner’s abort systems. Scroll down for video A successful unmanned launch for Boeing’s Starliner CST-100 pod (pictured above) will clear the way for a manned mission to the ISS, a first for a private company.The abort systems will help protect astronauts in case of system malfunction during launch and allow astronauts to safely return to the Earth.The abort test flights are planned for November 4th, and if everything goes according to plan, the test flight to dock with the ISS will commence in December.  Boeing’s CST-100 (pictured above) docks with the International Space Station in this artist’s rendering from Boeing.The mission was originally planned for August, but safety concerns from NASA prompted a delay.Earlier this summer, NASA announced it would open up the ISS to commercial projects, allowing private companies to buy time on the station for research or product testing. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? A private mission on the International Space Station will cost a minimum of about $35,000 per night.Private astronauts will need to cover the cost of:Regenerative life support and toilet: $11,250 per day Crew supplies (food, air, medical kit, etc): $22,500 per dayStowage: $105 per dayPower: $42 per kiloWatt/hourData downlink: $50 per GB Boeing was among the first groups to begin working on plans for commercial expansion into space under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development program in 2010.The program was meant to open the ISS to private corporations that had the means of launching their own rockets.SpaceX recently announced plans for its competitor, Crew Dragon, to send the first manned commercial spaceflight to the ISS in 2020.Earlier this year, SpaceX became the first private company to send a spacecraft to the ISS, with an unmanned Crew Dragon launch.Sometimes described as astronaut taxis, these taxis are meant for a future when researchers make regular trips into space to work on projects for commercial use.
Advertisement