Boeing Starliner
The Boeing Starliner (or CST-100, or simply Starliner) is a class of two partially reusable spacecraft designed to transport crew to the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. It is manufactured by Boeing, with the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) of NASA as the anchor customer. The spacecraft consists of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module.
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | Boeing |
| Applications | ISS crew and cargo transport |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Crewed capsule |
| Launch mass | 13,000 kg (29,000 lb) |
| Payload capacity | To ISS, 4 crew and 100 kg (220 lb) cargo |
| Crew capacity | Up to 7 |
| Dimensions |
|
| Volume | 11 m3 (390 cu ft) |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Design life |
|
| Production | |
| Status | In development and testing |
| Built | 3 |
| Launched | 2 |
| Retired | 1 |
| Maiden launch | December 20, 2019, 11:36:43 UTC (uncrewed) |
| Last launch | 19 May 2022 |
The capsule has a diameter of 4.56 m (15.0 ft), slightly larger than either the Apollo command module or SpaceX Crew Dragon and smaller than the Artemis Orion capsule. Starliner can hold a crew of up to seven people and can remain docked to the ISS for up to seven months. The Starliner capsule is designed for reuse on up to ten missions. Starliner is launched on Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
After several rounds of competitive development contracts within the Commercial Crew Program starting in 2010, NASA selected Starliner, along with the SpaceX Crew Dragon, for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract round. The first crewed test flight test was initially planned to occur in 2017.
After a lengthy development process with multiple delays, Boeing flew the Orbital Flight Test 2 on May 19, 2022. The Crewed Flight Test was delayed until May 7, 2024. This is expected to be the last test flight before Starliner enters operational service with the Starliner-1 mission in 2025.