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Launch of Boeing’s Starliner and NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    4th Aug, 2021

The launch of Boeing’s unscrewed Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) that was supposed to lift off from the Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station has been postponed once again.

Context

The launch of Boeing’s unscrewed Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) that was supposed to lift off from the Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station has been postponed once again.

About NASA recent space programs

CST-100 Starliner

  • The Starliner is a spacecraft that is supposed to carry more than 400 pounds of NASA cargo and crew supplies.
  • The Starliner has an innovative, weldless structure andis reusable up to 10 times with a six-month turnaround time.
  • It features wireless internet and tablet technology for crew interfaces.
  • It will take around 24 hours to reach the ISS, after which it will dock.
  • The spacecraft can accommodate around seven passengers or a mix of crew and cargo for missions to the low-Earth orbit.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program

  • Objective: To reduce the cost of transportation.
  • NASA plans to lower the costs by sharing them with commercial partners such as Boeing and SpaceX.

Significance of commercializing the programs for NASA

  • NASA will give incentives to the companies for designing and build the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS).
  • NASA can focus on building spacecraft and rockets that aremeant for deep space exploration missions.
  • These integrated spacecraft, rockets, and systems will help in maintaining a space station crew of seven to maximize time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory.

Low earth orbit

  • A low Earth orbit (LEO) is relatively close to Earth’s surface.
  • It is at an altitude of less than 1000 km and could be as low as 160 km above the Earth.
  • LEO satellites do not always have to follow a particular path around Earth in the same way and their plane can be tilted.
  • This means that there are more available routes for satellites in the LEO, which is one of the reasons why LEO is more commonly used orbit.

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