Boeing and NASA have March 25, 2021, as the deadline for Starliner’s second unmanned flight test. Orbital Flight-2 Flight Test (OFT-2), this is the second major flight test for the spacecraft and a major development milestone for Boeing in its bid for NASA’s Commercial Crew program. Previously, the pair was aiming for March 29, but the date was brought up due to a number of factors including access to the Atlas V United Launch Alliance rocket, opening on the East Range, steady progress on hardware and software, and docking access to the International Space Station.
This news comes after Boeing completed the formal application of Starliner flight software for the upcoming mission. This test included a full software review to verify that Starliner software meets design specifications. A complete, end-to-end simulation of the OFT-2 test aircraft using flight hardware and software will also be performed prior to the test day.
Boeing also recently redesigned the Starliner crew model on its new in-house service model. Engineers are now working to complete the interior of the vehicle before loading goods and carrying out a final inspection of spacecraft. A series of parachute balloon fall tests were also completed last December to gather additional performance data on spacecraft paratroopers and landing systems prior to a team test sometime in the future. future.
Starliner’s last orbital flight test took place as far back as December 2019. But on that voyage, the spacecraft experienced a time-irregularity that forced it to burn too much fuel to the International Space Station (ISS). As a result, it was placed in a lower, stable orbit where the Starliner demonstrated key systems and efficient capabilities before returning to Earth. When it sank on Dec. 22, it was the first American orbital space capsule to land on American soil rather than in an ocean.