Starliner CFT Return Thread
Starliner CFT Return Thread
After just over three months, Starliner is finally coming home, but without the crew, who will be returning with Crew-9 on Dragon next year.
| Undocking scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-09-06, 22:04 |
|---|---|
| Mission | Boeing Crewed Flight Test |
| Landing scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-09-07, 04:03 |
| Landing site | White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA |
| Starliner | SC3-2 (Calypso) |
| Crew | None |
| Revised mission success criteria | Successful undocking, deorbit, reentry, and landing of Starliner |
Livestreams (undocking)
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_79y0yZs0dc |
| Boeing | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bZhoHeAimM |
| Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv5X2yghKhA |
| NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG3eNnzhkpw |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueziZxViWCc |
Livestreams (landing)
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ0T-cZWh78 |
| Boeing | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObfa7Gdky4 |
| Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O55tEycZjiE |
| NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QngdqJ97lis |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueziZxViWCc |
Mission Details 🚀
The thruster firing show is fun
I can't help but be reminded of Starliner render that BO featured in their Orbital Reef announcement video. There's a 3 second clip at 1:34 showing Starliner spinning up like a washing machine, thrusters firing wildly. I'm glad that that, at least, did not come to pass.
Starliner separation from the ISS confirmed!
Good riddance!
https://x.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1831752624196182416
The hatch on @BoeingSpace's #Starliner spacecraft was closed today at 1:29 p.m. ET and the spacecraft is set to undock from @Space_Station at 6:04 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 6.
A bit of news, paraphrased:
During the coast phase over the past few hours, the flight controllers took the opportunity to perform a few tests of Starliner's thrusters. During the tests, one of the 12 RCS thrusters on the Crew Module didn't fire when commanded. The 12 thrusters are divided into 2 redundant sets of 6, so this shouldn't prevent Starliner from performing reentry and landing.
The teams also tested 10 of the 28 thrusters on the Service Module, and all performed as expected.
Not perfect, but not disastrous.
NASA webcast is live!
Was expecting a little more debris to be kicked up on touchdown. Wonder if the rockets didn't fire or just the camera angle?
Sounds like it was all good, so just the dust not being visible on the IR view.
Wonder if the rockets didn’t fire or just the camera angle?
Does Starliner have landing rockets? I know New Shepard does, but I thought Starliner might just have airbags. Also, there may have been a small hill between the camera and the landing site, so we might not have seen the exact moment of landing, given the low camera angle.
Live views from the WB-57 airplane! Nice plasma streak from Starliner!
Looks pretty good with all the main chutes successfully deployed.
NASA coverage is back for reentry and landing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ0T-cZWh78
Starliner has exited the ISS Keepout Sphere. All 12 burns completed nominally.
Starliner should exit the Approach Ellipsoid about 10 minutes later.
This is probably going to be so boring, but I won't be able to look away.
Service Module jettison confirmed.
Next up, reentry. NASA is sharing some nice telemetry on the stream :)
Deorbit burn has begun.
Edit: Nominal deorbit burn cutoff. Next up, jettison of Service Module from Crew Module.
Touchdown of Starliner!
Starliner is performing a series of 12 short thruster firings to nudge its way away from the ISS. Currently halfway through, all nominal so far.
Undocking webcasts concluded. Starliner has exited the ISS Approach Ellipsoid.
Next up will be a 59-second deorbit burn at 2024-09-07, 03:17.
Reentry has begun.
Next up will be an expected 4-minute communications blackout.
Three healthy main chutes deployed.
Wasn't expecting such beautiful shots at midnight in the desert!
The WB-57 and IR cams really made a difference!
Main heatshield jettison confirmed. Airbags are inflating.
https://x.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1832233388981297417
#Starliner's entry cover has been closed and secured for entry.
Teams continue to target ~12am ET Sept. 7 landing in New Mexico.
Live landing coverage resumes at 10:50pm ET
Forward heatshield jettison and drogue chutes deploy.
I bet the crew wished they were on it right about now.