Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft Touches Down in New Mexico

Boeing & NASA - Orbital Flight Test (OFT) patch.

December 22, 2019

Image above: The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft lands under three main parachutes in White Sands, New Mexico, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. Photo Credits: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani.

At 7:23 a.m. EST, the spacecraft began its deorbit burn that puts Starliner on the right path to land at White Sands, New Mexico at 7:57 a.m. The service module has successfully separated from the crew module containing Rosie the rocketeer, an anthropometric test device whose sensors will provide teams on Earth valuable data for when crew members land in the Starliner.

Starliner landing

At 7:53 the drogue parachute will be released, pulling out the spacecraft’s three main parachutes that will slow the capsule to a safe landing on Earth a little more than an hour before sunrise in the southwestern desert.

First images of Starliner after landing and hatch opening

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft completed the first touchdown on land of a human-rated space capsule in U.S. history Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, wrapping up the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Illustration of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Image Credit: Boeing

Starliner settled gently onto its air bags at 7:58 a.m. EST in a pre-dawn landing that helps set the stage for future crewed landings at the same site. The landing followed a deorbit burn at 7:23 a.m., separation of the spacecraft’s service module, and successful deployment of its three main parachutes and six airbags.

Inspecting the capsule, astronaut Suni Williams, who will command the next mission using the spacecraft, announced the crew had named it Calypso, after the ship captained by Jacque Cousteau in his ocean exploration.

Image above: The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is seen resting on its airbags after it landed in White Sands, New Mexico, at 7:58 a.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019.  Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls.

Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test (OFT) was the maiden mission of the Starliner crew capsule to the International Space Station. Because of an off-nominal orbital insertion, Starliner was not able to reach the station.

Related articles:

Boeing suffers another setback ... In space, Starliner anomaly explained
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/boeing-suffers-another-setback-in-space.html

Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test Update
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/boeing-starliner-orbital-flight-test.html

Liftoff! Atlas V Clears the Launch Pad with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/liftoff-atlas-v-clears-launch-pad-with.html

Related links:

CST-100 Starliner: https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/

Commercial Crew: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Videos, Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/NASA TV/Aubrey Gemignani/SciNews.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Boeing suffers another setback ... In space, Starliner anomaly explained

Boeing & NASA - Orbital Flight Text (OFT) patch.

Dec 21, 2019

Atlas V launches Starliner

Launched Friday at the international space station by NASA, the Starliner capsule of the manufacturer Boeing encountered a problem in flight.

Boeing suffered a major setback Friday when it failed to send its new Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS), without an astronaut on board. It was to be a dress rehearsal before the sending of NASA crews in 2020. An Atlas V rocket had taken off without problem from Cape Canaveral before dawn, and Starliner, fixed at its top, had detached a quarter of hour after.

Starliner’s orbital insertion maneuver

Video above: Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew capsule failed to perform the orbital insertion maneuver approximately 31 minutes after being launched by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V N22 launch vehicle, with a dual engine Centaur upper stage, from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on 20 December 2019, at 11:36:43 UTC (06:36 EST). Video Credits: Boeing/NASA/SciNews.

However, the capsule's engines did not start as expected, and the capsule was therefore unable to get on the right trajectory to catch up with the ISS, which flies in Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 400 km. Having missed the window and consumed too much fuel while trying to correct the position automatically, Starliner will therefore be brought back prematurely to land within 48 hours in New Mexico, in the western United States, announced a Boeing director. at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center, three hours after launch.

"Obvious challenges"

This test mission, the first in orbit, was crucial both for the reputation of Boeing, tarnished by the setbacks of its 737 MAX aircraft, and for American national pride. Since 2011, NASA has been dependent on the Russians to send its astronauts into space. American companies Boeing and SpaceX are expected to take over in 2020 with their new capsules.

NASA boss Jim Bridenstine, however, said that despite "obvious challenges", all of this was "very positive in general". The aircraft is in good condition and under control, the experiment will be useful, and no astronaut would have been potentially endangered, he said. He did not rule out that the first manned Starliner mission, initially scheduled for early 2020, could be maintained. "I'm not ruling it out," said the agency official, adding that it was still "too early" to predict if or how the schedule would change.

"We could have started this push manually," said Nicole Mann, one of three astronauts scheduled for the first manned mission, who renewed her confidence in the aircraft. "We can't wait to fly aboard the Starliner."

Unknown initial cause

The anomaly occurred in the on-board “elapsed time” counter in the mission. Having an incorrect schedule, Starliner did not perform the push at the time it was supposed to trigger, shortly after detaching from the rocket. When the Boeing and NASA control rooms tried to correct the problem manually, the capsule could not receive the command directly because it was in transition between two communication satellites.

Starliner anomaly explained

Video above: Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew capsule will land at the White Sands Space Harbor, on the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on 22 December 2019, at approximately 12:57 UTC (05:57 MST, 07:57 EST, 04:57 PST). A backup opportunity is schedueled at the same site at 20:48 UTC (13:48 MST). Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing’s Space and Launch Division, explained the anomaly that lead to an off-nominal orbital insertion, putting Starliner in an unplanned orbit.  Video Credits: Boeing/NASA/SciNews.

When they regained control, the teams determined that there was not enough fuel left to continue the mission and attempt the docking with the ISS, which was scheduled for Saturday. "We don't yet understand the root cause," said Jim Chilton, vice president of space for Boeing. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, the space agency had contracted billions of dollars with Boeing and SpaceX to develop capsules "made in the USA". After two years of delay, the program finally comes to fruition, but the approval of the vehicles depends on the latest tests.

The SpaceX solution

SpaceX has already passed the stage that Boeing was trying to take with this mission. Elon Musk's company sent its Crew Dragon capsule to the ISS in March and brought it back to Earth without a problem, with a mannequin on board. However, it has yet to complete parachute testing. This is the advantage of having chosen two separate partners, noted Jim Bridenstine. If one vehicle has a problem, the other can continue to serve NASA.

Artist's view of Boeing Starliner in orbit

These programs are distinct from the Artemis project to return to the Moon by 2024, which will be done with a third capsule adapted for deeper journeys in space, Orion, built by Lockheed Martin. At a press conference Thursday, the boss of NASA had declared his confidence in Boeing, stuck in the crisis of its flagship 737 MAX. "The people who develop the spacecraft are different from the people who make the planes," he said.

NASA, Boeing to Provide Update on Starliner Orbital Flight Test Status

The uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 6:36 a.m. Friday, from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a flight test to the International Space Station. The Starliner did not reach the planned orbit and will not dock to the space station. Teams worked quickly to ensure the spacecraft was in a stable orbit and preserved enough fuel for a landing opportunity. Boeing, in coordination with NASA and the U.S. Army, is working to return Starliner to land in White Sands, New Mexico, on Sunday, Dec. 22.

Live Coverage Information: NASA Live: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Related articles:

Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test Update
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/boeing-starliner-orbital-flight-test.html

Liftoff! Atlas V Clears the Launch Pad with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/liftoff-atlas-v-clears-launch-pad-with.html

Related links:

CST-100 Starliner: https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/

Commercial Crew: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images, Videos (mentioned), Text, Credits: ATS/NASA/Boeing/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test Update

Boeing & NASA - Orbital Flight Test (OFT) patch.

December 20, 2019

Image above: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.. Photo Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky.

After a successful launch at 6:36 a.m. EST Friday on the ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is in an unplanned, but stable orbit.

Starliner status update

The team is assessing what test objectives can be achieved before a safe return of the spacecraft to land in White Sands, New Mexico. NASA and Boeing officials held a post-launch news conference Friday morning.

Related article:

Liftoff! Atlas V Clears the Launch Pad with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/liftoff-atlas-v-clears-launch-pad-with.html

Related links:

Live Coverage Information: NASA Live: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

CST-100 Starliner: https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/NASA TV/SciNews.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Hubble’s Close-Up of Spiral’s Disk, Bulge

NASA - Hubble Space Telescope patch.

Dec. 20, 2019

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows IC 2051, a galaxy in the southern constellation of Mensa (the Table Mountain) lying about 85 million light-years away. It is a spiral galaxy, as evidenced by its characteristic whirling, pinwheeling arms, and it has a bar of stars slicing through its center.

This galaxy was observed for a Hubble study on galactic bulges, the bright round central regions of spiral galaxies. Spiral galaxies like IC 2051 are shaped a bit like flying saucers when seen from the side; they comprise a thin, flat disk, with a bulky bulge of stars in the center that extends above and below the disk. These bulges are thought to play a key role in how galaxies evolve, and to influence the growth of the supermassive black holes lurking at the centers of most spirals. While more observations are needed in this area, studies suggest that some, or even most, galactic bulges may be complex composite structures rather than simple ones, with a mix of spherical, disk-like, or boxy components, potentially leading to a wide array of bulge morphologies in the universe.

This image comprises data from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 at visible and infrared wavelengths.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

For more information about Hubble, visit:

http://hubblesite.org/

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

http://www.spacetelescope.org/

Text Credits: ESA (European Space Agency)/NASA/Rob Garner/Image, Animation Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Erwin et al.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

CASC - Long March-4B launches China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A (CBERS-4A)

China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A (CBERS-4A) patch.

Dec.20, 2019

Long March-4B carrying CBERS-4A liftoff

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A (CBERS-4A) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 20 December 2019, at 03:22 UTC (11:22 local time).

CBERS-4A launch

CBERS-4A will replace CBERS-4, launched in 2014, and is equipped with three optical payloads: a wide-range panchromatic multispectral camera developed by China, and a multispectral camera and a wide-field imager developed by Brazil.

The same rocket launched into orbit eight microsatellites, including the first Ethiopian satellite, ETRSS-1, a wide-range multispectral remote-sensing microsatellite donated to Ethiopia.

China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A (CBERS-4A)

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, the CBERS-4A carries three optical apparatus – a Chinese panchromatic, multispectral imager and Brazil’s multispectral camera, as well as a wide-field imager. It is tasked with producing remote sensing data to serve a wide range of public services in the two countries, including land resources survey, environmental inspection, climate change research, disaster prevention and agricultural forecast, according to the China National Space Administration.

Related links:

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC): http://english.spacechina.com/n16421/index.html

China National Space Administration (CNSA): http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/

Images, Video, Text, Credits: CASC/CNSA/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Liftoff! Atlas V Clears the Launch Pad with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft

ULS - Atlas V / STARLINER Mission poster / Boeing & NASA - Orbital Flight Test (OFT) patch.

December 20, 2019

Image above: The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft atop lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Dec. 20, 2019. Liftoff time was 6:36 a.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA.

Booster ignition and liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 6:36 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rocket is on its way, carrying Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station. About one minute after launch, the Atlas V rocket will achieve Mach 1. The Atlas V solid rocket boosters will jettison nearly two-and-a-half minutes into the flight.

Atlas V launches Starliner

About two-and-a-half minutes into flight, a series of key events begin to occur over the next few minutes. The Atlas V solid rocket boosters fall away shortly after launch. The Atlas first-stage booster engine cut off, followed by separation from the dual-engine Centaur second stage. The Centaur first main engine will start, following by aeroskirt jettison. A few minutes later the Centaur engine cut off.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner has separated from the Atlas V Centaur and is flying on its own, embarking on its inaugural flight to the International Space Station. The Atlas Centaur will fall back to Earth and impact the ocean near Australia. After a series of orbital adjustments, Starliner will be on course for rendezvous and docking with the space station at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Starliner’s orbital insertion maneuver

Despite launching successfully at 6:36 a.m. EST Friday on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is not in its planned orbit. The spacecraft currently is in a stable configuration while flight controllers are troubleshooting.

NASA are targeting a news conference for 9:30 a.m. EST to discuss the status of Boeing’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test. Visit http://www.nasa.gov/live for the latest info and news conference schedule.

Related links:

United Launch Alliance (ULA): http://www.ulalaunch.com/

CST-100 Starliner: https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/

Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Videos, Text, Credits: NASA/Linda Herridge/ULA/Boeing/NASA TV/SciNews.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Spitzer Studies a Stellar Playground With a Long History

NASA - Spitzer Space Telescope patch.

Dec. 20, 2019

Image above: A collection of gas and dust over 500 light-years across, the Perseus Molecular Cloud hosts an abundance of young stars. It was imaged here by the NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Perseus Molecular Cloud, a massive collection of gas and dust that stretches over 500 light-years across. Home to an abundance of young stars, it has drawn the attention of astronomers for decades.

Spitzer's Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) instrument took this image during Spitzer's "cold mission," which ran from the spacecraft's launch in 2003 until 2009, when the space telescope exhausted its supply of liquid helium coolant. (This marked the beginning of Spitzer's "warm mission.") Infrared light can't be seen by the human eye, but warm objects, from human bodies to interstellar dust clouds, emit infrared light.

Infrared radiation from warm dust generates much of the glow seen here from the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Clusters of stars, such as the bright spot near the left side of the image, generate even more infrared light and illuminate the surrounding clouds like the Sun lighting up a cloudy sky at sunset. Much of the dust seen here emits little to no visible light (in fact, the dust blocks visible light) and is therefore revealed most clearly with infrared observatories like Spitzer.

On the right side of the image is a bright clump of young stars known as NGC 1333, which Spitzer has observed multiple times. It is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth. That sounds far, but it is close compared to the size of our galaxy, which is about 100,000 light-years across. NGC 1333's proximity and strong infrared emissions made it visible to astronomers using some of the earliest infrared instruments.

Image above: This image from NASA'S Spitzer Space Telescope shows the location and apparent size of the Perseus Molecular Cloud in the night sky. Located on the edge of the Perseus Constellation, the collection of gas and dust is about 1,000 light-years from Earth and about 500 light-years wide. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

In fact, some of its stars were first observed in the mid-1980s with the Infrared Astronomical Survey (IRAS), a joint mission between NASA, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The first infrared satellite telescope, it observed the sky in infrared wavelengths blocked by Earth's atmosphere, providing the first-ever view of the universe in those wavelengths.

More than 1,200 peer-reviewed research papers have been written about NGC 1333, and it has been studied in other wavelengths of light, including by the Hubble Space Telescope, which detects mostly visible light, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Many young stars in the cluster are sending massive outflows of material — the same material that forms the star — into space. As the material is ejected, it is heated up and smashes into the surrounding interstellar medium. These factors cause the jets to radiate brightly, and they can be seen in close-up studies of the region. This has provided astronomers with a clear glimpse of how stars go from a sometimes-turbulent adolescence into calmer adulthood.

An Evolving Mystery

Other clusters of stars seen below NGC 1333 in this image have posed a fascinating mystery for astronomers: They appear to contain stellar infants, adolescents and adults. Such a closely packed mixture of ages is extremely odd, according to Luisa Rebull, an astrophysicist at NASA's Infrared Science Archive at Caltech-IPAC who has studied NGC 1333 and some of the clusters below it. Although many stellar siblings may form together in tight clusters, stars are always moving, and as they grow older they tend to move farther and farther apart.

Image above: This annotated image of the Perseus Molecular Cloud, provided by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, shows the location of various star clusters, including NGC 1333.
Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Finding such a closely packed mixture of apparent ages doesn't fit with current ideas about how stars evolve. "This region is telling astronomers that there's something we don't understand about star formation," said Rebull. The puzzle presented by this region is one thing that keeps astronomers coming back to it. "It's one of my favorite regions to study," she added.

Since IRAS's early observations, the region has come into clearer focus, a process that is common in astronomy, said Rebull. New instruments bring more sensitivity and new techniques, and the story becomes clearer with each new generation of observatories. On Jan. 30, 2020, NASA will decommission the Spitzer Space Telescope, but its legacy has paved the way for upcoming observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, which will also observe infrared light.

Spitzer Space Telescope. Animation Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Spitzer-MIPS data used for this image is at the infrared wavelength of 24 microns. Small gaps along the edges of this image not observed by Spitzer were filled in using 22-micron data from NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE):

To learn more about Spitzer and how it studies the infrared universe, check out the Spitzer 360 VR experience, now available on the NASA Spitzer channel on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpitzerVR.

Related links:

Spitzer's "cold mission": http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/mission/68-Recent-History

Hubble Space Telescope (HST): http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1523-ssc2005-24a1-NGC-1333-in-the-Infrared

Chandra X-Ray Observatory: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia19347

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/

Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html

More information about Spitzer is available at the following site(s): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/main

Images (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Tony Greicius/JPL/Calla Cofield.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch