How to watch a Boeing Starliner capsule attempt to dock at the International Space Station

How to watch a Boeing Starliner capsule attempt to dock at the International Space Station

Concept display of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner.

Concept display of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner.
picture: Boeing

It was a perfect launch of the ULA rocket Thursday night in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The payload, a Boeing Starliner spacecraft, is now on its way to the International Space Station, Despite the rugged orbital orbital burnout. The capsule will attempt to dock at the orbital station at 7:10 PM EST today and you can watch it live here.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner has already made It entered an orbital path that takes the unmanned capsule to the International Space Station. Through Previous test in 2019, Starliner Failed to reach its correct orbit due to a software automation glitch that caused an unnecessary burn of the orbital input. But In spite of Push problem occurred during orbital entry yesterdayStarliner still On track to meet the International Space Station at the expected time.

The reusable spacecraft is expected to arrive at the space station’s forward port of Harmony at 7:10 p.m. May 20. Live coverage of the automated docking procedure will be provided on NASA TV And Youtube, as well as in the live broadcast below. The broadcast is expected to begin at 3:30 PM EST.

The current mission, Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2), is a crucial step toward adopting Starliner as an astronaut-friendly spacecraft. Under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the space agency is seeking to purchase two platforms to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. One who are they, SpaceX Crew Dragon, is already working. Boeing is now under pressure to fulfill its contractual obligations and Overcoming a large number of problems that plagued the project –Hence the importance of docking the International Space Station today.

Now that it’s in orbit, Starliner will make a series of minor path modifications to reach the same orbit as the International Space Station. Once near the station, the spacecraft will pause before entering the 656-foot (200-meter) “ball-far” distance, during which time the flight controllers will assess the Starliner’s alignment and readiness for docking, according to the Job profile.

The Starliner will then begin docking, pausing again when it reaches within 33 feet (10 metres) of the station. This step will be followed by the final approach and autonomous docking with an international docking adapter. “The unique vision-based navigation system used to dock will be independently tested on the orbital platform as well as its new docking system cover,” according to to Boeing. This should happen shortly after 7:00 PM EST this evening, with the slot opening scheduled for May 21 at 11:45 AM ET.

The 15-foot-wide Starliner CST-100 is designed to carry seven passengers. No humans came on this flight, but one seat occupied by Rosie the Rocketeer – an experimental model with 15 different sensors. In addition, the spacecraft carries more than 800 pounds of cargo, which includes food and supplies for the current International Space Station crew.

Starliner will spend about five to 10 days attached to the station, after which time it will attempt an unmanned re-entry into the atmosphere and a parachute-assisted landing in the western United States.

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