What is the point of starliner?

The mission: an uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft will ride a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to orbit and dock with the International Space Station. The mission is dubbed Orbital Flight Test-2, or OFT-2.

How much does it cost to put an astronaut in space?

Jude. For NASA astronauts, McAlister says, orbital trips can have a $58 million price tag, based on averages calculated from commercial contracts with SpaceX and Boeing. While $58 million may seem like a lot, it’s actually a great bargain for NASA.

What is so special about SpaceX dragon?

CAPSULE. The Dragon capsule, also known as the pressurized section, allows for the transport of people as well as environmentally sensitive cargo. Dragon is equipped with Draco thrusters that allow Dragon to maneuver while on orbit and 8 SuperDracos that power the spacecraft’s launch escape system.

What happened with Boeing Starliner?

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been recalled to the factory because of sticky valves. Friday’s announcement means that the capsule will be taken off the Atlas 5 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and returned to Boeing’s factory located nearby at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

How much did NASA pay Boeing for Starliner?

NASA officials have consistently said the space agency prefers to see competition and redundancy in commercial space systems, and NASA gave Boeing a $4.3 billion contract to develop Starliner and SpaceX a $2.5 billion contract to develop Dragon.

What is the size of the Boeing Starliner?

The capsule has a diameter of 4.56 m (15.0 ft), which is slightly larger than the Apollo command module and SpaceX Dragon 2, and smaller than the Orion capsule. The Boeing Starliner holds a crew of up to seven people and is designed to be able to remain in-orbit for up to seven months with reusability of up to ten missions.

When will the Boeing Starliner launch for NASA?

On 16 September 2014, NASA selected the Boeing Starliner, along with SpaceX Crew Dragon, for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program, with an award of US$4.2 billion. The Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test (uncrewed test flight) launched with the Atlas V N22, on 20 December 2019 from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

How many people can the Starliner carry?

The Starliner was designed to accommodate seven passengers, or a mix of crew and cargo, for missions to low-Earth orbit. For NASA service missions to the International Space Station, it will carry up to four NASA-sponsored crew members and time-critical scientific research.

How much will SpaceX’s Crew Dragon cost?

The per-seat cost for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, meanwhile, will be around $55 million, according to the OIG’s calculations.