Description : For this test maneuver, the capsule was equipped with an anthropomorphic test dummy equipped with sensors to gather data that will help Boeing engineers evaluate the results of the test. During the test, the Starliner capsule was programmed to reach a speed of 650 mph (1,046 km/h) in just 5 seconds. Engines on board the spacecraft fired intermittently over the course of 10 seconds in order to carry the capsule away from the launch pad and the hypothetical unstable rocket. Then, the spacecraft oriented itself and a suite of parachutes released in three pulses over the course of about 25 seconds. The parachutes are crucial for crew safety because they both slow the capsule down and orient the spacecraft for a safe landing. Those parachutes come in three pulses: two drogue parachutes, three pilot parachutes and three main parachutes. Only two of the last category deployed during the test, but that is within the range of acceptable safety conditions for the vehicle. About 60 seconds into the procedure, the Starliner capsule jettisoned its heat shield and deployed airbags to soften the landing still further.

USA 3313

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Space Event :

CST-100 · STARLINER ABORT TEST