Boeing launches Starliner spacecraft on its final test flight

The Starliner capsule build by Boeing just launched on its final test flight. The NASA project is the only remaining major step in a long-running effort to once again launch humans into space from US soil. The Starliner's destination is the International Space Station and it will be following the same flight path that it will take next year when it has its first crewed flight.

Its final un-crewed test flight

This last test flight is uncrewed, meaning that there are no humans on board, but instead, there is a dummy named Rosie. Rosie is fitted with state of the art sensors that will be monitoring conditions like G-force during the flight so as understand the condition that her first crew will experience.

This last test flight will determine when exactly the Starliner will make its historic first flight next year. Boeing will be working closely with scientists at NASA to review the data from today's mission and both authorities must ok te spacecraft for crewed flight.

NASA spokesperson Jim Bridenstine has said that if everything goes okay then it is expected that the Starliner will be ready in the former half of 2020. Also competing with NASA's Starliner is Space X started by Billionaire Elon Musk. Space X already performed it test flight earlier this year but it still needs to test its emergency abort systems before it can be ready for a crewed flight.

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Boeing along with SpaceX was provided with $4.2 billion and $2.5 billion in 2014 respectively to develop separate capsule systems capable of ferrying astronauts to the space station from American soil for the first time since the US Space Shuttle was retired from service in 2011. The NASA had initially expected its first crewed flights on Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule in late 2017. Yet a slew of design and safety concerns for both vehicles have led to schedule delays. Both the companies are now scheduled to launch into space by the mid-2020. 

The starliner will stay at least a week at the International Space Station before undocking and beginning its return to Earth early on December 28. It is equipped with three parachutes to slow its descent to the desert surface of White Sands, New Mexico, Boeing said. 

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