CTS-1

Last updated
Boeing Starliner-1
Calypso Starliner capsule postflight.jpg
Starliner to be used for CTS-1 in processing
Operator Flag of the United States.svg Boeing
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCalypso
Spacecraft type Starliner
Manufacturer Flag of the United States.svg Boeing
Crew
Crew size4
Members Sunita Williams
Josh A. Cassada
Thomas Pesquet
TBA
Start of mission
Launch date2021
Rocket Atlas V N22
Launch site Cape Canaveral SLC-41
End of mission
Landing dateLate 2021
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Inclination 51.6°
Docking with ISS
Docking port Harmony Module
Time dockedSix months
 

CTS-1, sometimes referred to as Boeing Starliner-1 [1] , is the first operational crewed mission of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station, and the fourth orbital flight mission of the Starliner overall. It is scheduled for launch in 2021 with a crew of four. It will transport members of a future ISS Expedition to the ISS. This would only be the fourth US spaceflight with a female commander, after STS-93, STS-114, and STS-120.

Contents

Crew

Position Crew member
Commander Flag of the United States.svg Sunita Williams, NASA
Expedition TBA
Third spaceflight
Pilot Flag of the United States.svg Josh A. Cassada, NASA
Expedition TBA
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Flag of France.svg Thomas Pesquet, ESA
Expedition TBA
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Flag of the United States.svg TBA, NASA
Expedition TBA
TBA spaceflight

Backup crew

Position Crew member
Commander Flag of the United States.svg Barry E. Wilmore, NASA
Pilot Flag of the United States.svg TBA, NASA
Mission Specialist 1TBA
Mission Specialist 2 Flag of the United States.svg TBA, NASA

Spacecraft

This mission will be the first reuse of a Starliner spacecraft. The USCV-2 vehicle was previously used for the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test mission in December 2019. On December 22, 2019, commander Sunita Williams announced the name "Calypso" for the spacecraft. [2]

Notes

Currently, CTS-1 holds the designation USCV-2, as it is scheduled to be the second operational flight of the Commercial Crew Program, following USCV-1 which will be flown by a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft [3] . Nominally, Commercial Crew missions will rotate spacecraft between Crew Dragon and Starliner, although, due to the issues on Boeing's Orbital Flight Test which has most likely pushed the companies Crew Flight Test into 2021, it is unclear weather Starliner will be ready in time to fly on USCV-2, meaning the designation may go to the second operational flight of Crew Dragon [4] .

As this flight marks the first operational flight of Starliner, a Russian cosmonaut will most likely not be on board as Roscosmos has stated they do not want to put Russian cosmonauts on either Starliner or Crew Dragon until they have flown successful USCV flights. The fourth seat will probably be taken by a third NASA astronaut, like what happened with USCV-1 [5] .

See also

Notes

  1. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/ccp-press-kit/main.html
  2. Williams, Sunita [@Astro_Suni] (December 22, 2019). "Thanking two mission control personnel" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  3. http://spacefacts.de/mission/english/uscv-1.htm
  4. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46136.1220
  5. https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-crew-dragon-mission/

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