ULA Launches NASA’s Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test

Nasa Space Flight ^ | 6/5/2024 | Nasa Space Flight

[6ppc]

Here is a live stream of the latest attempt to get Starliner off the ground from Nasa Space Flight's youtube channel. Launch is scheduled for 10:52 EDT. This is an instantaneous launch window. If they have any delay it will be scrubbed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInMeY7m4vA

I tried to find the betting odds on it actually getting off the ground today, but couldn't find anything. My bet is 50%.

Tomorrow SpaceX is launching Starship Flight Test 4. Launch window starts at 8 am EDT. I give SpaceX 90% chance of getting it off the ground.

[plain talk]

They're hauling ass!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

An abort at 7 minutes would bring the capsule to St. Johns Newfoundland / Labrador. That’s surprising. I didn’t realize it was taking off to the north / northeast.

[NorthMountain]

Now separated from Centaur.

[6ppc]

Looks like about 13-14 minutes to orbital insertion burn.

[NorthMountain]

Yep.

We just had three US launches in the last 24 hours. SpaceX (Starlink) and RocketLab (NASA PREFIRE) last night, now, finally, ULA Starliner.

[6ppc]

Starship tomorrow morning. Launch window opens at 8 am EDT.

[NorthMountain]

I’m quite eager to see that one. Starship is a remarkable device.

[NorthMountain]

Orbital insertion complete!

[6ppc]

Successful orbital insertion. Looks like Boeing finally got it right. Not sure when docking with ISS is happening.

[NorthMountain]

Tomorrow around noon, IIRC.

[SunkenCiv]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOFGG6mzseI&t=3883

[steve86]

I’m sure glad it’s going well.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

What? No pink-haired, nose-ringed, tatted-up ground crews high on dope and wearing Palestinian keffiyehs? What's wrong with NAS and ULA? Where's the diversity?

Lots of old gray hair and pale skin at NASA and ULA. I wonder why that is...

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Looks like Boeing finally got it right”

They were saying scrub #2 was due to a redundant computer problem. There are three redundant computers. The third was just a few seconds late coming on, but that was enough to scrub launch attempt #2. They traced it to a failing power supply on the computer and replaced it.

[hoagy62]

As if you REALLY need an answer to that.....

I’m just glad that everything went so smoothly.

[hoagy62]

And I will be sure to be up early, watching that big candle get lit.

I’m hoping they have good video coverage from Starship itself, like they did last time. It was amazing watching the plasma surround the outside of the ship as it was re-entering. That was something nobody on the ground had seen live before.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

And lots of professional dress, coats and ties. Professionalism is obvious.

[Magnum44]

ISS orbital inclination is 51.6°. They have to launch NE to get to ISS.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks. I kept noticing that high inclination on their data dashboards and was wondering about that. I didn’t realize ISS was that high.

[Magnum44]

One of the compromises when we brought the Russians aboard ISS construction in the 90’s. In hindsight, a big mistake. But then, so was not having manned launch capability for many years after shuttle.