New Starliner parachute system will improve flight reliability and safety
Boeing Space is approaching the first manned test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Following the successful testing of Starliner's redesigned main parachute, the company has confirmed readiness for its upcoming test launch to the ISS in April.
Analysis of the data showed that the test with two parachutes was successful and all test goals were achieved, giving the green light for crewed flight tests, as announced by Boeing Space on social media. The new modification of the parachute improves the efficiency of the system, the softness of the links and strengthens the main parachute suspension compared to the previous version.
It was also announced that a new parachute system has already been installed on the Starliner in preparation for a test flight.
On Starliner's first manned mission, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will travel aboard the ISS for approximately two weeks. They will work alongside other crew members before returning to Earth on the same Starliner via parachute, landing in the southwestern United States.
A successful test flight will reduce NASA's dependence on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which has been carrying astronauts to and from the ISS since 2020. SpaceX's eighth operational crewed flight is scheduled for early March.
Starliner encountered several problems during development. During the first unmanned test flight in 2019, docking with the ISS did not take place and many problems arose with the ship. They were corrected before the next test flight in 2022, during which they were able to successfully dock with the ISS for several days before returning to Earth.
However, problems with the ship's structural components led to several delays in Starliner's first manned flight. Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, readiness for this mission is expected in April.