Boeing CST-100 Space Taxi Maiden Test Flight to ISS Expected Early 2017...

universetoday.com ^ | May 9, 2014 | Ken Kremer on

[BenLurkin]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – Boeing expects to launch the first unmanned test flight of their commercial CST-100 manned ‘space taxi’ in “early 2017,” said Chris Ferguson, commander of NASA’s final shuttle flight in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Universe Today for an inside look at Boeing’s space efforts. Ferguson is now spearheading Boeing’s human spaceflight capsule project as director of Crew and Mission Operations.

“The first unmanned orbital test flight is planned in January 2017 … and may go to the station,” Ferguson told me during a wide ranging, in depth discussion about a variety of human spaceflight topics and Boeing’s ambitious plans for their privately developed CST-100 human rated spaceship – with a little help from NASA.

Boeing has reserved a launch slot at Cape Canaveral with United Launch Alliance (ULA), but the details are not yet public.

If all goes well, the maiden CST-100 orbital test flight with humans would follow around mid-2017.

“The first manned test could happen by the end of summer 2017 with a two person crew,” he said.

“And we may go all the way to the space station.”

[BenLurkin]

[BenLurkin]

[BenLurkin]

[mikrofon]

Boeing CST-100 Space Taxi Maiden Test Flight to ISS Expected Early 2017

Ahhh, I see now where NASA's "Muslim outreach" is going now – they're training some of the more-experienced cabbies to pilot this craft ....

[Balding_Eagle]

LOL!

[BenLurkin]

If there is any way that spacecraft can be turned to an evil purpose — the Muslims will find it.

[MinorityRepublican]

Seems like a variant of the Russian design Soyuz.

[tcrlaf]

So, we are basically back to the early Apollo days. Yippee...

[BenLurkin]

We want to get up there somehow, and I guess there's no sense in reinventing the wheel.

[tanknetter]

So, we are basically back to the early Apollo days. Yippee...

I wouldn't say that. If the goal is a space-taxi then a capsule is a good way to go. Remember that the Shuttle was more of a semi-truck to space. It never really worked out as planned, it had severe design flaws that resulted in the loss of two vehicles and 14 crew, and after Challenger was lost its two main raison-d'etres (hauling up commercial satellite payloads and NRO spysats) evaporated in favor of less risky options.

The truth is, unless (until?) we go for a single-stage to orbit spacecraft, capsules (or small winged vehicles like the X-37 and DreamCatcher) and expendable boosters provide the best value for the money.

[Regulator]

Heh.

You let me know when Sponnick even gets halfway there with that lineup.

That’s what he was pushing back in 2005.

Currently he has to call Bad Vlad to get engines.

[RedMDer]

Don't let FR fade away! .

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 Two percent a day keeps the 404 away. 

[mikrofon]

An interesting(?) factoid about ISS orbital mechanics is that
if you vector a launch from Florida during the appropriate orbit,
the pursuing vehicle would head (mostly) Eastward & nearly pass
over Mecca, so prayer issues shouldn't arise RE an Islamnaut... ;-)

[NCC-1701]

Despite the Apollo 1 fire Apollo 13 and the Apollo program was a huge success. Stick with what works. Can’t wait till we’re back in the business of launching humans from the Cape again.

[Balding_Eagle]

Hehe. Good catch.

[MacNaughton]

As a "Baby-Boomer" who watched all the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo missions, this warms my heart. But ...

According to Wikipedia - ISS, the ISS is funded until 2024, and may operate until 2028.

I will be amazed if the ISS mission continues for another 10 years for a host of reasons - world economy, space wear & tear, obsolence, decline of the U.S., etc. But the global elites may well choose to keep it going.

[al baby]

My thoughts exactly “And Islamic ! has cleared the tower”

[Doug Loss]

Ummm...SoaceX plans to launch a manned Dragon capsule by mid-to late 2015. So Boeing will be about a year and a half late to the game.

[Doug Loss]

Right...SpaceX.

[CapnJack]

I would have figured by this time we would have something like this to ferry stuff back and forth to orbit. What's taking so long?!?