Kudos goes to both Aerojet Rocketdyne and Boeing for the successful CST-100 Starliner pad abort test. Aerojet Rocketdyne is the main propulsion provider for the Starliner service module, that will carry out maneuvers in case of an emergency on the launch pad.
“Providing safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit is paramount for sustainable space architectures,” said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO, and president. “Aerojet Rocketdyne is providing Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft with proven launch abort propulsion for every stage of flight to ensure crew safety.”
Should there be a launch problem, four Aerojet Rocketdyne launch abort engines and 14 orbital maneuvering and attitude control engines on the service module can go from dormant to delivering a combined 181,000 pounds of thrust in just one-quarter of a second.
The exciting thing about Aerodyne’s innovation for the crew vehicle’s launch abort system is that it allows for a safe abort at any time during the mission, which has never before been possible with crew vehicles.
The 16.5-foot-tall (5-meter) capsule propelled itself off its test stand at 7:15 a.m. MST (9:15 a.m. EST; 1415 GMT) Monday morning. The Starliner used the same launch pad originally built for a pad abort test of NASA’s Orion crew capsule in 2010, according to Space Flight Now.
There was just one little glitch in the otherwise successful test and it proved to be insignificant, according to Boeing. Only two of the ship’s three main parachutes deployed on the descent.
“It’s designed to operate with two chutes, and operate well,” said Chris Ferguson, a Boeing test pilot, and astronaut who will fly on the Starliner’s first crewed space mission next year, according to CNN. “Everything landed well, all the airbags functioned properly. I was just super-jazzed that we got to where we were.”
“It’s too early to determine why all three main parachutes did not deploy, however, having two of three deploy successfully is acceptable for the test parameters and crew safety,” Boeing said in a statement. “At this time we don’t expect any impact to our scheduled Dec. 17 Orbital Flight Test. Going forward, we will do everything needed to ensure safe orbital flights with a crew.”
