Boeing and Rocket Lab hope for the best as both return to launch pad after failures • The Register



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Two spaceships with a lot to prove are ready for launch in the coming days.

The first is Boeing’s Calamity capsule, the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which is set to take off on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is a near-disaster recovery from Boeing’s first unmanned test, where a variety of failures due to uncertain testing forced the capsule to make a quick return to Earth.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, despite having its own whoopsie, has since transported astronauts to and from the ISS as Boeing resolves issues.

Boeing has a lot to do on this launch, as well as the Starliner. After a financially hellish spell in 2020, the company announced a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue to $ 16.99 billion for the second calendar quarter. Its operating cash flow was negative at $ 483 million, but better than a year ago when its cash outflows were $ 5.28 billion.

A successful mission would therefore smooth the frowns at all levels of the company. The launch is scheduled for 1853 UTC on July 30 if the weather is fine. Current forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions.

The small Rocket Lab satellite launcher will also attempt an in-flight return this week with a launch from its New Zealand Launch Complex 1 for the US Space Force.

The mission, whose window spans 12 days from July 29 (0600-0800 UTC), involves deploying an Air Force Research Laboratory sponsored demonstration satellite called Monolith and has been dubbed “This is a little chile here “in a nod to green chili in New Mexico where the space testing program is based.

The mission is Electron’s 21st launch and was supposed to take off from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on NASA’s Wallops Island, Virginia. The ongoing certification process for Rocket Lab’s autonomous flight termination system has resulted in the move to New Zealand.

The mission’s predecessor, “Running Out Of Toes”, ended in failure after a problem with the second-stage engine igniter interrupted the engine computer and sent thrust vector control to the engine. Rutherford engine “outside nominal parameters”, causing premature shutdown.

The Electron first stage was unaffected and was recovered from the ocean as planned. ®

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