NASA’s Commercial Crew program will take a big step forward on Monday, May 6th with the launch of the Boeing Starliner Calypso’s Crewed Flight Test (CFT-100). Scheduled for a 10:34 PM EDT liftoff, Starliner Calypso will carry its first-ever crew to the ISS on an important test flight. (The spacecraft was named in honor of the research vessel Calypso, used by famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau from 1950-1996.)
The Commercial Crew Program
Following the end of the Space Shuttle era in 2011, the United States found itself dependent on Russia to get astronauts to the International Space Station, or anywhere else for that matter. That same year, the Commercial Crew Program was initiated by NASA as a shift from internal development of crewed vehicles to commercial industry development of transport to the International Space Station (ISS) for crew rotation. The program sought to not only lower costs but to stimulate the simultaneous development of multiple space transportation systems. The program was envisioned to offer both a rapid launch capability and redundancy that would reduce dependence on any one type of launch vehicle.
Contracts for the development of a new crewed launch vehicle and necessary systems were initially awarded to five launch contractors, with the leaders emerging as SpaceX with the Crew Dragon, Boeing with the Starliner, and Sierra Nevada with Dream Chaser. Each company offered a radically different design, each with its own unique capabilities.
SpaceX became the first to achieve flight certification for a crewed vehicle with the Crew Dragon in November 2020.
Boeing has conducted two uncrewed flight tests with the Starliner. The first test, in 2019, didn’t go well, with Starliner failing to dock with the ISS due to a clock issue, causing the spacecraft to consume more fuel than planned. The second uncrewed test flight, OFT-2, was successfully launched on May 19, 2022. The Starliner spacecraft arrived at the ISS on May 20 and spent five days at the outpost before returning to Earth.
Starliner Launch Will See Multiple Milestones
With Monday’s 10:34 PM launch, Boeing’s CFT-100 aims to change the landscape. Following the first crewed test flight by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Starliner stands to become a certified crew transportation source, with Boeing joining SpaceX as the only two US companies who can make that claim.
Monday’s launch also represents an important milestone for United Launch Alliance, a company that both Boeing and Lockheed Martin own. CFT-100 will be launching atop ULA’s Atlas V booster from ULA’s SLC-41, representing ULA’s first manned launch.
Historically speaking, the launch will be the first of a manned flight from a Cape Canaveral launch complex since Apollo 7 launched from Pad 34 in 1968.
Is Starliner Safe to Fly?
During a May 1st press conference, Starliner test pilot/astronaut Butch Wilmore made clear his thoughts about Boeing’s spacecraft.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been involved extensively in helping with the engineering of spacecraft systems. “Our background enables us to know what questions to ask. And ensuring that the the test is representative of what the spacecraft will be doing on orbit,” said Wilmore regarding the importance of their experience as test pilots.
When queried by FMN’s Jim Siegel about Starliner’s unique capabilities, Wilmore said that one of the aspects that makes Starliner unique is that it has three control modes with which to fly:
- Fully automated: The astronauts merely sit back and watch the instrument panel as the computers do all the work, from launch to docking and back.
- Manual control: “There are certain failure modes that put the controls into our hands, so it’s manual control, with the computers all operating,” he said. The controller sends a signal to the computer and the computer sends the signal to the proper jet.
- Fail-safe backup mode: “If the computers fail or some other failures occur, and there’s a need for just basic controls with no computers to operate the jets, this mode allows the astronauts to control the spacecraft all the way to a pinpoint landing. No other spacecraft has those capabilities.”
“When you can go into backup mode halfway through re-entry, and still hit the bullseye, when you don’t even have the computer, that’s pretty remarkable. And this is the only spacecraft that can do that.”
Astronaut Butch Wilmore – CFT-100 Crewed Test Flight
Astronaut Suni Williams echoed her crewmate’s confidence in the safety of Starliner. “There have been a lot of new finds … this is a developmental program. We have an idea and we test it out. Check out the data and how it will be displayed back to us. We continuously find stuff … We got it to the point, all of us the team, that we feel very safe and comfortable how the spacecraft flies. And we have backup procedures if we need those.”
Emphasizing that this is a test flight, she observed, “But we are going to find new things and we are going to write them down, and we going to relay all that, and we are going to fix them for the next time that the spacecraft flies.”
Among the many aspects that they examined were even “simple things like being in our suits in the spacecraft and the routing of the umbilicals and comm cables. What is the optimum way to do that,” explained Williams.
Differences in Starliner and Crew Dragon
Design and Development
Boeing’s Starliner is built on Boeing’s decades of experience in aerospace and defense. The capsule design is somewhat traditional, reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo and Space Shuttle programs but updated with modern technology. Starliner is designed to accommodate up to seven passengers or a mix of crew and cargo. It is reusable up to 10 times with a six-month turnaround.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, on the other hand, represents a new wave of space design. Its sleek, modern appearance includes touchscreen controls, large windows, and an emphasis on automation. Crew Dragon can also carry up to seven astronauts and is designed for reusability, capable of flying multiple missions to significantly reduce the cost of access to space.
Launch Systems
Both spacecraft are designed to launch atop rockets that have had significant track records. Starliner is launched by ULA’s Atlas V rocket, a reliable workhorse with numerous successful payloads to its credit. This choice aligns with Boeing’s approach of relying on tried and tested launch systems.
Crew Dragon uses SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 rocket, known for its groundbreaking reusability. The Falcon 9’s ability to land its first stage for reuse not only reduces costs but also increases the frequency of launches, a crucial factor for robust space operations.
Safety Features
Safety is paramount for both spacecraft, but each employs different methods to achieve this. Starliner is equipped with a launch escape system that can activate at any point from the launch pad to orbit to carry the crew to safety in case of an emergency. This system is integrated into the service module and separates from the crew module when it is no longer needed.
Crew Dragon also features an integrated launch escape system but uses powered flight with its SuperDraco thrusters to pull the spacecraft away from the rocket rather than the traditional tractor-rocket system. This method allows for escape capability throughout the entire ascent.
Docking and Landing
One of the significant differences between the two spacecraft is their docking and landing procedures. Starliner is designed to dock autonomously or can be piloted manually if necessary. For landing, Starliner descends under parachutes and airbags for a land-based return, which allows for quicker recovery and reuse of the spacecraft.
Crew Dragon also docks autonomously to the ISS but opts for a water landing assisted by parachutes, similar to the methods used during the Apollo era. This method has been proven safe but requires more time for recovery operations.
Mission Profile
Starliner’s missions are currently focused on fulfilling NASA’s requirements for access to the ISS and other potential low Earth orbit destinations. Boeing envisions Starliner as part of broader applications, including missions for other international space agencies and private spaceflight participants.
SpaceX, under Elon Musk’s ambitious vision, sees Crew Dragon as just the beginning. The spacecraft is part of a larger goal to reach Mars and other destinations in the solar system, which is evident in their development of the more advanced Starship spacecraft.
Both Starliner and Crew Dragon represent the cutting edge of space travel technology and the beginning of a new chapter in human spaceflight. While they serve the same purpose of safely transporting astronauts to and from the ISS, their differing designs, capabilities, and future ambitions reflect the diversity of approaches in the burgeoning commercial space industry. As both continue to evolve and undertake more missions, the advances from these spacecraft will undoubtedly influence future generations of space exploration technology.
