A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled to blast off from
The long-delayed test aims for Starliner to conduct an uncrewed flight to the orbital outpost that would pave the way for a crewed test mission later this year.
The flight is a repeat of a test flight in 2019 that was cut short after
Developed as part of a public-private partnership, the Starliner spacecraft will give
The other is
"We met with the teams at
Months spent correcting issues
Ahead of OFT-2, engineers at
To mitigate the moisture intrusion issues that plagued the craft last summer, ultimately leading to valves that were corroded shut,
"We didn't find any other issues with the spacecraft, other than the valves,"
"We're going to cycle the valves every few days to help with potential corrosion and to reduce moisture," Parker said.
The
"It's incredibly difficult to design and build this type of spacecraft,"
Uncrewed delivery of supplies
There won't be any astronauts on board this flight.
She will be outfitted with an array of sensors to provide the company with flight data from inside the spacecraft.
Also on board will be more than 500 pounds of food and supplies for astronauts currently on board the ISS. Stitch said that once it completes its mission, the craft will return to Earth with more than 600 pounds of cargo.
Forecasters predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions at liftoff on Thursday. Their main concerns are the potential for thunderstorm development and lightning that could be triggered by the rocket as it makes its way to orbit.
There is a backup opportunity on Friday, but that window has only a 40% chance of good weather.
If all goes as planned on Thursday, however, Starliner will arrive at the ISS around
The craft is scheduled to remain in orbit at ISS for six days, at which point it will undock itself and return to Earth, landing under parachute at
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